The Kill
by annubis
Summary: Yoshimitsu is on what should seem to be a typical mission, but this one's more important than the rest, this one is personal. A journey of revenge, the self, making friends, and possibly much more.
1. Chapter 1

**The Kill**

**Chapter 1**

He leaned over the edge of the building, glancing at the dark and wet city streets below. The rain droplets ran down the length of his radiating blade. Tonight was a night like any other, he was going in for the kill and like any other night there was going to be no mistakes.

Yoshimitsu clung onto the handle of his katana, no matter what the mission was he could never hold back the excitement, the nervousness. He never messed up but he also never let himself off the hook that easily. He could find a flaw in every inch of his movement no matter how fluid or perfected it seemed to the naked eye of any trained ninja.

Thunder sounded, shaking the windows softly just a few feet below. That was the signal, it was now or never. He leapt from the edge of the building, his technological suit morphed into the background, hiding his presence. His sensors lit his vision, he was not even to blink during this operation, the current task and foe was too dangerous. Like a dove he soared slowly down the levels of the skyscraper. The rain skidded down the surface of the glass barrier over his covered face, the reflections of the liquid poured over the silver and gold plates like molten metal.

Gently he placed his cyborg hand against the glassy surface of the 26th floor. His body stopped immediately, his feet flipping over his head to rest on the glass. His lifted his head slowly, glancing at his blank reflection a moment. There was nothing there; the stealth system always gave him a nostalgic feeling. Though he was plainly sitting on the pane of glass, right now his reflection couldn't lie. There was no robotic eyes, no sensors, lights, voice modulators, masks, nothing. Right now the glass showed nothing and that was when he felt his true self, he was nothing on the inside, empty.

There was no time to be thinking of such things, he needed to carry on with the mission. Slowly, he brought his katana to the glass. The thin tip sliced through the surface as if it were made of water. In two quick strokes, like that of a paintbrush, the artist had cut his hole into the side of the building, ready to infiltrate the Mishima Zaibatsu. He needed the data more than anything but if the chance did arise he would kill the man who had taken so many from Yoshimitsu's life.

'Fury...' the word echoed in his mind as he slid his body through the window. His feet landed softly, like a cat's, onto the tiled floor. He turned quickly, pushing his back against the opposing wall. He would stay invisible by sight in case of snooping cameras he may miss. But Yoshimitsu never missed. He lifted his blade quickly, tearing through the wall behind him at the upper corner. He waited for the mechanical chirp of the destroyed camera to sound through the tiny hole he made through the wall. A corner of his lip curled, the machine had been destroyed in the room behind him, now he could enter safely but he would stay on the alert.

The ninja twisted quickly, rotating around the corner and into the doorway of the room that held the many records to recent experiments run in the Zaibatsu's lab facilities. Slowly he made his way to one of the computers in the room. He tapped the chair gently while he stared at the glowing screen. He tugged it from its spot, covering the cushioned surface with his body. He leaned forward, thumb on chin, forefinger rubbing across his lip as his robotic arm jolted the mouse and searched for the proper files. A beep sounded as a window appeared on the screen asking for an ID and Password confirmation. He dropped his mechanical hand to the keyboard, his fingers extending from its joints, ready to type. His other hand tugged at the cord running from his hood down the length of his neck, unsnapping the plug. He reached for the computer's port, plugging himself into the system. He only had a few minutes before the Zaibatsu security system would recognize his presence from after hours and send in its militants. He let out his breath as his fingers typed at lightning speed across the keys. He stared at the glass of his helmet. Before his eyes appeared multiple files and items. He had to read quickly, he only needed one word, only one name. They traveled by the hundreds, all of them a blur.

'Focus...' He frowned as his eyes blinked.

'Click'. His fingers stopped. Slowly he lifted his lids. A small smile crossed his features as he read the words:

'BRYAN FURY. RESTABALIZATION COMPLETE...'

Quickly he loaded the data as his hand snapped back into place. He only had a minute to get out of the place and as far away as possible, preferably a hundred miles, but what could he do, he wasn't a god. He quickly stood from his chair as he unplugged himself from the computer. The screen in front of his eyes closed, clearing for normal view. In a flash he was out the door and down the hall towards the ruined window.

His feet made no sound as he sprinted on the tiled floor. His body movements were upon deaf ears as he jumped out into the dark night and a sheet of rain covered his form once again.

He knew the data. He had caught the important piece before the document closed. All the man needed was the address and he was set. Tonight was supposed to be like every other night, a basic mission. Gather data, annihilate the target and destroy all evidence. But unlike every night, Yoshimitsu had a personal reason not to fail. Tonight he had to get the kill.

* * *

Thanks for reading! this was originally planned to be a long chaptered fic featuring action and romance. I will continue with this story as I cannot stay away from the itch of writing. i usually post new chapters once a week. please review, let me know what you think, like or do not like. Thanks! -Annubis


	2. Chapter 2

**The Kill**

**Chapter 2**

'Dr. Vera Mihailov…' Yoshimitsu narrowed his gaze, watching the struggle in the alleyway a few stories below.

Lightning flashed, showing two figures arguing. One was female and the other, male.

'Fury…' a guttural growl resonated from Yoshimitsu. He didn't hesitate a moment longer.

"I told you the reason why!" the woman screamed.

"And that reason isn't good enough!" Bryan Fury seized the woman by the arm. He pulled her across the alleyway, her struggling to no avail. Her umbrella dropped into a muddy puddle with a clatter. "You _will_ operate immediately!" He lifted her into the air and slammed her against the rain soaked, brick wall of the complex.

The woman struggled against his strong hand, gasping for air. Her airway was closing up; about to collapse under the sheer might of Bryan's hold on her.

"Hhhh…" she gasped, trying to call out for help to deaf ears. The thunder drowned out every noise in the streets.

Bryan let out a laugh, one that sounded cruel and dark.

"When will you repent for your sins?" a low, mechanical tone sounded from beside Bryan's ear.

Bryan's hand quickly released the woman, dropping her to the wet, grimy ground. She coughed, holding onto her throat, not minding of the brown water soaking up into her clothing.

"My old friend!" Bryan chuckled, looking for the owner of the voice. "How many years has it been? I'm surprised you still remember me, what with your old age!"

He was stalling, wasting time, trying to find Yoshimitsu. The ninja, however, did not respond. Bryan gritted his teeth angrily, his hands twitching for a fight, to try out his new toys.

'He's mad! Who is he talking to?' the woman, Vera weakly rose to her feet. She leaned back against the brick wall, watching.

"Was the last retribution not enough?" a low hum sounded as a bright green light flooded toward Bryan Fury's head. Bryan ducked, rolling to the side.

'Fast…' Yoshimitsu frowned.

The ninja followed through, swiping in the air. Bryan was gone once again, side stepping and ramming a fist into the side of Yoshimitsu's helmet. He toppled to the ground rather ungracefully, not prepared for the contact.

'Strong…'

"What's this? You can't even lay a finger on me!" Bryan laughed, reaching up toward the sky. Lightning flashed, thunder growling after it. "Am I too powerful?"

Yoshimitsu picked himself up from off the ground, water dripping in soft plops onto the rocky cement. He grabbed his blade and pulled his elbows together and outward, pointing the glowing tip at the enemy. Rolling his neck, it popped loudly.

"You think you can hit me with that?" Bryan chuckled.

In a flash the ninja was gone. Invisible footsteps splashed in the water toward Bryan. The swipe of the sword missed yet again. Bryan grinned, thinking this was just too easy. There was sudden impact across his face. Yoshimitsu's invisible form kicked upward as his sword arm swooped down. Bryan tossed to the side, grunting. There was another hit in his chest, the other foot, followed by a crack to the skull with the butt of the blade and another swipe downward, cutting across Bryan's chest. The thick metal of his robotic endoskeleton prevented enough penetration as Yoshimitsu needed. The ninja glared at Bryan, there was a sharp pain in his side, something internal. Yoshimitsu groaned, breaking concentration for a split second, the pain too much. Bryan took the opportunity and grabbed at the invisible man. He lifted Yoshimitsu into the air as he grabbed at the sword and tugged it from his own body.

"Looks like you need to sharpen that blade." Bryan laughed.

He drove the sword into Yoshimitsu's mid-section, deactivating his cover, and threw him against the opposite wall like a ragdoll. The impact sent cracks up the surface of the building and knocked a few bricks loose. Yoshimitsu's metal plates of armor stuck him to the surface a moment longer before he dropped to the ground in a heavy heap, the sword driving further into him. He groaned in pain, feeling the searing heat of the weapon deep within him. Bryan's boots splashed in the water as he approached the downed man. He pulled out his 50. Cal Desert Eagle and pointed it at the man's head.

"No! Stop it!" Vera shoved off the wall and pushed past Bryan. "If you don't stop this, you will never get your upgrade, Bryan!" the woman stood over Yoshimitsu, arms out protectively.

Bryan narrowed his gaze, snarling at the woman. "A hunt was always more enjoyable anyways." He turned away from the woman, laughing. "I'll see you soon, doctor."

Doctor Vera watched Bryan turn the corner, leaving the alleyway.

"Oh my god! Are you alright!?" She dropped to her knees, looking over at the injured man on the ground. "Come on! Let's get you inside!" she grabbed Yoshimitsu's arm, helping to lift him off the ground. She watched the blade in his stomach. There wasn't much blood coming from the wound, but his breathing was labored.

They stumbled up the few stairs into the building. She supported the man, one arm over her shoulder. Her finger frantically pushed at the button by the elevator. She looked down at him, worry in her eyes. For the first time she noticed his strange outfit. His gold plated helmet with a glass face cover. She couldn't see the man's face, his head was dropped and hiding from view. Thunder rolled, sending a jolt through her body. The soft chime of the elevator helped relax her nerves. She'd be home in only a few more seconds. They shuffled into the tiny box. She eagerly pushed the button for her floor, waiting impatiently as the seconds passed by; afraid the man leaning against her would die any second.

'I should call the police…or the clinic…' the woman closed her eyes.

"Urgh!" An awful sound came from the man. He leaned forward, clutching at his stomach. On either side of the blade rested two fingers. The man coughed; the sound eerie to the woman.

"W, what are you doing!?" She cried out in horror.

Yoshimitsu placed a gloved hand onto the hilt of his sword. Without a moment's hesitation he removed it from his body. Droplets of blood and a darker substance dropped to the floor. She eyeballed it warily.

'Who is this guy? Is he…some kind of monster?' she swallowed thickly.

Yoshimitsu groaned, leaning forward. She grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. The elevator stopped, dinging cheerfully.

"Almost there. Come on!" she led him out into the hall. Vera pushed him against the wall, reaching into her jacket for her keys. They jangled loudly in the silent hall. She shoved the key into the hole and kicked her door in, reaching for Yoshimitsu simultaneously as he began to drop again. "Not yet!" she flicked on the light switch.

The woman dragged him to her couch in her small living room. She set him down gently, letting him lay down. She let out a quick sigh of relief, wiping at her forehead. The doctor looked down at the man, a great flash of lightning cast strange shadows on the walls. Loud thunder rattled her windows.

_Zip_, a mechanical buzz. The electricity went out.

"Great!" she threw down her arms.

The woman stumbled to her kitchen, grabbing a candle and some matches. She scratched at the match repeatedly and fumbled to light the tiny wick. Hurriedly, she rushed to the bathroom looking for her med kit. The woman ran back out into the living room and dropped in front of the couch. She set the small candle on the coffee table, it barely giving any light. Vera squint her eyes. The wound was deep; the blade had pierced right through him. But, there still was hardly any blood. Light glint off the surface of the armor around his stomach. Her fingers lightly touched the metal. Her head turned to see if he was awake, she was suddenly nervous. She just brought a stranger into her home. For all she knew, he was a maniac just like Bryan, out on a stroll for someone to kill.

Vera crawled to the side. She looked carefully at the glass covering over the man's face. Maybe if she could see his face, she wouldn't feel so frightened of him. She got close, reaching for the candle behind her; it was so dark she couldn't make out a single feature.

'Oh no! He look's pale!' The woman leaned in, the candle getting closer to the glass covering. A bright flash of lightning lit up the room like daylight, revealing the man's face. Indeed it was white, white like bone. His face was bone, a skull to be exact, one with a frightening grin and sharpened canines. Two black eyes with red pupils looked up at her, a third one red without a pupil sat in the middle of his forehead.

"OH!" the woman jumped back, hitting her back on the side of the coffee table. She stood up quickly, ready to run. The man, or whatever it was, did not move. She held a hand to her chest, calming herself.

'He is a monster!' the woman gulped. 'Or an alien!'

She dropped back to her knees, holding the candle up to Yoshimitsu's face. Reluctantly she set her fingers on either side of the glass plate. With a quick whizzing sound it slid backward into his helmet.

"Amazing…" Vera whispered, looking over the mechanics in the man's headdress. She couldn't fathom what all the intricate electronics were for, the long tentacles out the back, the chords running down his sternocleidomastoid and clavicle. She looked up at the man's face. Her eyes narrowed again, looking over the middle eye on his forehead. It indeed wasn't a real eye, but something much more technological. His eyes were still open, black with red pupils. They too seemed to have more than the purpose of seeing. "An android?" the woman ran her fingers lightly over the jawbone. It was smooth and slick, like bone. It sent shivers down her spine. She tapped it lightly. It clacked against her fingernail, more like porcelain. "A mask?" she bit her lower lip as she reached under the chin, feeling for an edge where she can remove the white cover.

Two hands reached up, clamping around the woman's wrists. Before she could even scream, the body leapt off the couch, one hand moving to cover her mouth, the other still gripping her arms together. He landed behind her, his arms wrapped around her tightly to keep her from moving. A silent scream sounded a moment later. They stood for a few seconds before Yoshimitsu released her quickly and moved to the window of her apartment. His fingers dug under the wooden ledge.

"Wait!" the women breathed. The man did as told, but he did not turn toward her. "…Thank you." She spoke after a minute. Her hands ran up and down her arms uncomfortably.

Yoshimitsu turned a head to look at her, his eyes were now glowing in the darkness, one giant red orb from his forehead and two tiny ones where his pupils should be. She couldn't help the small step back she took. His head dropped after seeing her fear. He nodded curtly and then turned back toward the window.

"You can't leave! You're in dire need of medical attention! Oh, wow!" she gasped. "Look at your suit! It's amazing! Who made it?" She gaped at the man. "Oh! Let me get my things, I can help you!" Vera didn't leave any room for the man to reply as she turned and left. She rushed into her bedroom, grabbing a book and some notes. She paused and looked under her bed, grabbing a tool kit as well. "You shouldn't be running around in this…" She quickly rushed back into the living room and dropped her things onto the couch dejectedly. The man was gone. The window was open and tiny droplets of rain poured onto her beige carpet. "…weather."

* * *

"What happened to you!?" Dr. Boskonovitch rushed to the doorway of his lab, helping the injured Yoshimitsu. "I take it your mission was a failure?" he helped sit the man on the lab table.

Yoshimitsu sat with his head hanging. Dr. Boskonovitch was used to not getting a response from the man. He grabbed a chord connected to a nearby computer and plugged it into a port on the back of Yoshimitsu's helmet. The screen of the computer flashed, showing the ninja's vitals amongst many other codes.

"Hm…I see." The doctor shook his head sadly. "This is not good news…"

A low sigh sounded from Yoshimitsu.

"The artificial organs within your body are rapidly deteriorating. The technology is old. You've had that system for far too long." The doctor pushed a few keys. The screen blipped to show other data, waves and patterns flashing in separate boxes. "If we do not hurry, we'll have a huge problem on our hands." He stopped and looked at the ninja. "That is, if it isn't already too late."

"The machine?" Yoshimitsu asked; no emotion in his voice.

"Still in its early stages." The old man sighed. "I'm very sorry, but after Bryan destroyed the lab, I lost all that data. I've had to start from scratch, you see? He destroyed my machines, my computers, and my data. The fire the broke out burned all my books and notes. I would need more parts, time, and funding… I have nothing, absolutely nothing." He followed Yoshimitsu, hanging his head.

"But you've used it, correct?" Yoshimitsu looked down at the man.

"Yes, but my purposes weren't quite as extensive as the work you will need done on your body. My body only needed a short amount of time to heal and regenerate the cells in my spine. I was able to use it while I was in the cold sleep, the computers working on their own." The professor frowned. "What I did, Yoshimitsu, was foolish. It was a big gamble, one that I will not risk on your life."

"But if I would risk it?" the ninja asked hopefully.

"Still not possible. I still don't have the correct data and technology to recreate bone, muscle, nerve, tendon, and skin tissue. It could take weeks, months, or years." He said flatly. "You have too many organs and your arm to be repaired. What I did, was nothing more than build a wall around the disease infecting my spine. I cannot get worse, but I still am not better. I am not healed. You see? This will not help your body. You need complete reconstruction of vital organs, not a few cells."

Yoshimitsu laid his forehead in his hands. He sat silently and unmoving.

"Do not fret, my boy. I will find a way to help you. If it takes my last dying breath, I will find the help you need." Dr. Boskonovitch patted the man on the back. He pushed off the table, stretching as far as his back would allow. "Now," he held up a finger. "If only I had an assistant of some kind. I'm just too old and slow anymore to keep up with this machine. If I had someone who knew of this type of stuff I could possibly get it done much quicker and you will have a new body!"

"What about me? You can teach me, I can help you." Yoshimitsu asked; his pitch higher than before.

"…I'm afraid not…" the old man laughed nervously. "I would need someone who has had experience in the field. And frankly, Yoshimitsu, every time I try to go over the minor details of your new armored suits, you get sleepy on me." The ninja rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"You're a great ninja, and you should stay that way." Dr. Boskonovitch nodded quickly, smiling. "Though…" He rubbed his chin. "All of my notes, everything was destroyed. There's no possible way anyone else has any knowledge of my machines…perhaps that horrible Dr. Abel…But no."

"Bryan Fury!" Yoshimitsu growled angrily. His hands gripped at the sheathed sword sitting in his lap. "I _will_ destroy him!" he groaned, grabbing the sides of his head, missing the feeling of pressure because of the helmet.

"And about that!" the doctor grabbed the sword. He admired the details engraved on its surface. "You continue using this, and you're bound to go mad! It's been bothering you enough as it is. If you keep using this weapon you're headaches are going to be the least of your problems." He handed the sword back to Yoshimitsu.

"I'm keeping it at my side at all times." Yoshimitsu said defiantly.

"You may be old, but you're still as stubborn as a teenager." Dr. Boskonovitch laughed. He reached across the table and grabbed a syringe. "Now, let's take off that armor. I still have some work to do."

Yoshimitsu complied, removing the chest and abdominal plates. He removed the helmet, but kept his mask on and slipped off his shirt.

"Mm Hmm." The doctor nodded. "Just as I thought. You're lucky. The sword went right through you, but managed to just scrape the exterior of the liver. I think you'll be fine for now. I'll bandage it up to keep some of the fluid out. But for now, don't work yourself too hard. I'll have to patch up the piece tomorrow morning to make sure everything heals correctly. Now, give me your arm." He grabbed Yoshimitsu's right arm and jabbed the needle into the topside of the elbow joint. "This will help with the pain. It's all we can do for now. If you feel anything from now on, let me know."

"There was a leak." Yoshimitsu pointed at the wound as the doctor bandaged it.

"I see that. Nothing too serious, my boy. It's all biochemical, it won't send toxins into your bloodstream." The doctor laughed.

Yoshimitsu hated it when he was called 'boy' by Doctor Boskonovitch. He wasn't much younger than the doctor. He only appeared to be, his inside and outside altered, made younger and healthier by numerous surgeries and procedures. Doctor Boskonovitch's lifelong goal was to find the solution to eternal life. Yoshimitsu always thought that the doctor had already achieved that goal with him, but not without the help of bio-mechanical prosthetics.

"Off to bed with you. You need some rest. You haven't slept much these days." The doctor walked to the door. Yoshimitsu followed, tying the sword at his hip and slipping on his mask. "Keep that sword away from you at least while you sleep."

The ninja grunted in consent and walked out into the chill night air. The door closed behind him. Yoshimitsu waited for the sound of the lock clicking before he headed on. There was a gentle breeze, wrapping a cool air around his body like a blanket of ice. He breathed in, enjoying the scent of autumn. The trees ruffled in the wind, the leaves raining upon the frosty ground. The temperature had dropped considerably over the short time he was in with the doctor. He was happy to see it had at least stopped raining. A few ninja roamed the fields, most sitting by fire chatting about their last missions. The soft crackle of flames was peaceful to the man's ears. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, almost tasting the charred smell of the campfire. His eyes opened, overhearing a few bitter words coming from a nearby group. He frowned, knowing whose voice it belonged to.

"Yoshimitsu!" A small voice sounded, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oda…" the ninja nodded. He smiled, though no one could see it. He hid his face from everyone, except Dr. Boskonovitch. It was the same with his natural voice.

"Where were you? Hachi and I were looking for you!" The young boy grabbed Yoshimitsu's hand.

"I was on a mission earlier." The man replied, not minding the contact of the young boy. He was one of the very few who ever touched the man.

"Did you kill anyone!?" the boy asked excitedly, dropping his hand. He skipped ahead and stood before the ninja, eyes wide and mouth gaping. Yoshimitsu paused in his steps. A few unwanted memories flashed through his mind.

"Missions are not always about killing." The man kneeled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Missions are also about helping people. We help many people outside our home, correct?"

"Yeah!" the boy cheered.

"And killing isn't considered a good thing. One shouldn't be so excited about it." Yoshimitsu raised his pointer finger. "Correct?"

"Yeah." Oda frowned; feeling a bit disappointed in his self.

"There is much more to be happy for, your mother. Your father has come home unharmed every mission. And you have good friends too, correct?" the man stood from his place on the floor.

"Like you!" the boy grinned widely, showing a missing tooth.

"Correct." Yoshimitsu chuckled. "It is very late, Oda. Let's get you home." He grabbed the boy's hand and led him home, which wasn't too far from where Yoshimitsu resided. He said his goodnights to the boy, ruffled his hair and then went on his way to his room. He wasn't aware of the glaring eyes that were watching him earlier from a campfire.

"He's trouble. Always causing trouble." Daisuke, a troublesome ninja of the Manji clan, snarled.

"Someone sounds jealous." One ninja pointed out, laughing. He sipped from a mug an unknown substance.

"I'm not jealous, just tired of that old fart running this place." He glared in the location of Yoshimitsu's home. "He's been hogging the power and leadership of this clan for far too long."

"And you think you can do better?" one female ninja laughed. She leaned up against one of the males in the circle, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Anyone could! But, yes…" the man growled agitatedly. "It's a miracle how that man can still fight. He's probably even older than that crazy doctor!" he scoffed. "Even has his own doctor! What about us!? Are we all not special enough to get treated by a grand scientist? What makes him so special that he needs all the medical attention? So what, he has a missing arm, what kind of complications does that cause!?" he threw his arms in the air.

"Daisuke…He's also missing half of his insides." One ninja said sourly. "The guy's our leader. I don't know why you have such a problem with him. He's done great things for us."

"Like what!? Give all our money and medicine to the poor!? You've got to be kidding me! Look at us! We're small, weak, we get hardly any action. This isn't what I became a ninja for." The man pouted, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Lemme guess…" the female spoke again. "You became a ninja to kill." She didn't even try to hide any of her sarcasm.

"That's what ninjas do." He grumped.

"Times have changed. Look around you. This world isn't like the old days anymore. It's the future. We can't dwell in the past any longer!" the second ninja downed the rest of his drink. He stood from the fire, setting his cup on the log he was sitting upon with a thump. "I'm callin' it a night."

The others at the campfire rose. A few yawns and a couple of goodnights were given. They all left, not saying another word as Daisuke stayed in his place, moping. He glared at the red hot flames. The light flickered in his retinas. A crooked smile crossed his face.

"Exactly…why live in the past? Yoshimitsu is the past. It's time we found ourselves a new leader."

* * *

Wow! Thanks for the reviews! It makes me happy to hear the some would like to hear more of the story. Yoshimitsu just doesn't seem to get much love. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	3. Chapter 3

wow. This seems to not be a very popular subject. Well hopefully I can widen the audience of this story and create more Yoshimitsu fans. Spread the love people! Lol! Thanks to those who did read and review. Thanks! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 3**

Dr. Vera Mihailov strode down the long tiled hallway in a hurry. She sipped from her coffee, glancing at her watch.

'What a night. I'm so late!' the woman yawned.

She turned the corner and froze, something crunching under her shoe. She looked down curiously. A circle of glass lay on the floor. She felt a cool breeze. The window beside her had a circular hole missing from its pane. She ran a finger along the edge of the hole in the window.

'What could've cut this glass?' she bit her lip, analyzing.

"Excuse me miss!" it was a Mishima officer. "You're tampering with evidence."

"I'm sorry!" Vera stammered. She tumbled away from the window and around the officer.

"Vera!" another voice called out.

"David!" Vera hooked her arm around the young man's who just approached her. He blushed wildly. Vera smiled, she loved making the shy men blush. David was easy to flirt with too, tall, thin, dark hair and shining eyes behind black, thick rimmed glasses. He didn't seem too much younger than her either. "What's going on?"

"S, someone broke into the lab last night!" the young man stuttered at first, nervous around the woman. "Somehow managed to break into your files!"

"My files?" the woman gasped. "What happened?"

"They stole information on the Bryan Fury project. We're still not sure why. The Mishima military is looking into it. They've taken over the lab." David shook his head disappointedly.

"My files!" Vera groaned. "Wait! They tried to find out data on Bryan?" the woman nearly choked on her coffee. She couldn't keep her mind off the mysterious man who attacked Bryan last night.

"We've tried to contact Bryan Fury, but there's no way to get a hold of him. He's went out on the contract. Somehow managed to find the tracking device planted within his chest plate." The man sighed. "The man probably is already in another country."

"No…" Vera mumbled.

"What?" the man turned to her.

"Huh? Oh nothing. I was just thinking." Vera giggled innocently and tapped the man on the behind as she passed by. "Let's get to work!" The man's face turned ten different shades of red.

"Dr. Mihailov!" this was her superior, the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu Scientific division. He was in his fifties, a horseshoe of hair around his bald spot. He had bottle cap glasses, and a long nose.

Vera was second in command. It was a rare occasion for someone as young as Vera to hold such a high place in the scientific division of the Mishima Zaibatsu. This division held the most elite scientists all over the world. She was sometimes given a hard time by the head of the branch, but she never took it too personally, figuring the bitterness was due to her high place and low age.

"Yes sir!" Vera straightened her posture.

"We've had an incident last night." The elderly man announced to her.

"I've heard. My files? Are they still here?" She swallowed thickly.

"Yes, they only copied the data." The man cleared his throat, leading the woman into the lab. It was taped off like the CSI shows she watched on television, detectives taking notes and asking questions, people dusting for prints, officers confiscating her computer and other miscellaneous things.

"Hey! My computer!" she hollered, strolling toward the officer.

"Vera!" the doctor announced. "They need it in order to investigate the situation." He folded his arms. "There will be no work today. The lab is temporarily closed."

"Closed? You mean, I have no work until they fix this mess?" the woman whined.

"No one does." The professor huffed, sounding agitated.

"But, I have rent coming up soon and I need groceries and my-." She listed the many financial problems on each finger.

"You'll still be paid." He squeezed the bridge of his nose, sighing loudly. "Just go home, Mihailov."

"Yes sir." The woman eyeballed the men untangling her computer's cords.

"Not so fast." An officer approached the woman. "We'll need a few answers from you if that's alright."

"Sure." She muttered flatly.

"Our reports indicate that the last location caught on the tracking device was near your apartment building. Did you see or hear anything unusual last night?" He tapped the pen on his notepad loudly. The man looked very bored.

"Well…" Vera paused. "No. I may have heard something, but I think it was just a catfight. I was really tired. I fell asleep early last night."

"Is that why you look so tired this morning?" her supervisor grumbled.

"Too much sleep." The woman growled.

"About what time would you say you feel asleep last night?" the officer asked.

"Eight?" the woman questioned more than answered. "I'm not sure; I was watching TV when I fell asleep on the couch."

'What am I doing?' the woman bit the inside of her cheek.

"The last time you saw the subject?"

She figured he meant Bryan. "The day he was released from the lab."

"Anyone you know of who would be able to do something like this?" he scribbled in his pad.

"…No." she raised a brow. "I don't normally hang out with ninjas."

The officer and her supervisor stared at her. "Why would you suggest it was a ninja?"

"Oh!" she laughed, waving a hand. "I was just stating, I mean…come on! How on earth could someone get in that way? I was just being silly. I mean, too many ninja movies lately. They can scale walls and all that, it just reminded me…" she was rambling. 'Shut up!'

They both gave her an awkward glance. "You happen to see any ninjas last night?" the officer asked.

"Oh boy! I wish!" she giggled.

"Dr. Mihailov always has her head in the clouds." The elderly doctor told the officer. "But she's the most honest person I know."

"Let us know if you do hear of anything. The information that was tapped into was confidential. Thank you for your time." The officer gave a quick nod and then walked to his next suspect for questioning.

Vera let out a deep breath. 'What am I doing?' the woman rubbed her forehead.

"You can go home. I'll send out an email when this is all over with." The professor rubbed the back of his neck. "However, I'll be here if you need anything."

"You can't leave?" the woman asked.

"As head of this department I need to be present for every investigation taking place. Besides, this is my lab. I'm not letting a bunch of people run in and out as they please, taking whatever they deem important at the time." the supervisor smirked. He may be a hard man to get along with all the time, but he certainly did take pride in his and everyone else's work. He wasn't one to be stepped on.

"Ok. Well, if I come up with anything, I'll let you know." Vera smiled and waved a goodbye to the man. She hurried out of the building, her coffee forgotten and cold by now.

'What a day!' the woman hopped into her small car. 'I'm going to get in so much trouble.'

* * *

It was late in the afternoon before Vera got back to her apartment, busy running errands throughout the day. She was happy to have been given the time off. She could now get some things done; clean up a bit in her apartment, find her missing remote for the television and finally sit down and finish reading the book she had set down more than six months ago. The woman stabbed her key into the lock below her door handle. She struggled with the knob, her arms full of groceries.

"Ah…time for a nap." The woman sighed as she kicked the door closed behind her and flicked on the light switch. "OH!" she gasped, dropping one of the bags in her arms.

It wasn't the fact that her living room window was open that frightened her, but what was sitting on her windowsill. Perched on the frame was none other than the man who had helped her the night before, Yoshimitsu. Red pupils stared at her, the man did not move. The apartment was dead silent. Vera calmed her beating heart and took a deep breath, all the while never tearing her gaze away from the man's.

"You're pretty creepy, you know that?" the woman kneeled slowly to pick up her spilled groceries. She muttered to herself about her spilled items, hoping the eggs hadn't cracked. She reached for the tiny carton. Yoshimitsu's hand caught it first, lifting the carton for the woman and handing it to her slowly. She jumped, scared at the closeness of the man. She stared at the gloved fingers and the intricate designs on the cloth. Vera hesitated only a moment and then she grabbed the carton. "…Thanks." The woman sighed.

She shoved the items back into the bag and rose to her feet. Yoshimitsu abruptly grabbed them from her arms and carried them to the kitchen. She watched him curiously as he set them down gently on the counter and then looked about the kitchen. She couldn't see his face, but could tell he was confused. He opened one cabinet, the one beneath the sink, and closed it quickly.

Vera smiled, laughing a bit. "Don't worry about it. I'll put them away." she walked beside the man, not feeling threatened by him any longer. He rubbed the back of his helmet sheepishly. "Seems you've given everyone in the lab quite a scare as well." He straightened his posture, staring at her. It was the first time he got a good look at her. Vera appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. She had dark hair in loose curls with bangs parted off to the side. The light reflected off her hair, showing almost golden highlights. She had red, thick rimmed glasses. She was thin and a little taller than average height for a woman. She fidgeted uncomfortably. "That was you, right?" she questioned. Her voice had a hint of an odd intonation on some words. She must've spent some of her life in Russia to get that accent. "Going through my data?" she began putting away the items in the brown paper bags.

Yoshimitsu folded his arms, his head tilted slightly to the side.

"You don't talk? Afraid you'll give away your identity?" she smirked. She opened the refrigerator.

"My voice rarely gives me away." a low mechanical tone sounded. Vera twitched.

"Please tell me that's not your real voice." She looked up at the man, breathing a laugh. She held her hand against her chest as he gave a low laugh, one that sounded almost evil. She shook her head at the man. "You like to scare people, don't you?" she placed her hands on her hips.

"Fear is a great way to get an advantage on the enemy." Yoshimitsu replied. He mocked her gesture, placing his hands on his hips. Vera giggled lightly.

"Am I considered the enemy?" She lifted an eyebrow.

"Not you. Bryan Fury. Where is he?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"I'm not sure. No one can find him. It seems he's discovered the tracking device that was planted inside of him. He's probably in hiding by now." Vera fiddled with the dishes in her sink. "You're after him, aren't you?"

"…" the man nodded.

"How'd you know he would be at my place last night?"

"Your address was in one of your files. You shouldn't keep personal information like that on your computer." Yoshimitsu advised. "Anyone can get into it, even Bryan."

"He already knows where I live. Probably monitoring my home." The woman sighed. "He wants an upgrade. I refused…" she opened her dishwasher and placed the few dishes on the rack.

"How were you capable of fixing that man?" Yoshimitsu asked; genuine curiosity in his voice. "And why?" his hands clenched.

"It's just a paycheck. I do what I'm asked of." The woman wrung her hands, watching the floor. "I knew nothing of the man. It's just…" she hesitated. Her grey eyes looked up at the ninja. "My great uncle invented the hardware used inside that man." Yoshimitsu cocked his head, listening. "He's dead now. I found some old notes in the old Mishima lab. They contained diagrams of the machinery, notes on his research and development for his mission on finding eternal life. I was fascinated by it. I took the notes, how little they were, and researched them. I was able to piece together everything and build a greater and better machine. His technology was older, so I just kind of gave it an upgrade."

"Dr. Boskonovitch?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"Yes! You've heard of him?" she asked with excitement.

"…Yes." He nodded slowly.

"I always looked up to him. Always wanted to see him again. But once I learned that he died in some freak accident in one of his labs…I was devastated. I never got to know the man, never got to work with him. I had no idea how to reach him, to talk to him, especially since he had been reported missing since I was a child. I never found out where his lab was during the time he was missing. Just saw the news on television about it. Even then they gave no details." The woman looked sad and very disappointed. "He was a great scientist. I hope I can be like him some day."

"…" Yoshimitsu was silent.

"Anyways." The woman smiled again. "How are you feeling?" she stared below his ribcage where the katana had been wedged only last night. "I would like to check out that wound…and that suit, if you don't mind."

"I'm fine." He answered quickly. The woman frowned. "I'm just here on information about Bryan."

"Oh…" she sighed. She looked let down upon hearing that. "He was brought to us badly beaten and broken. There was barely anything left of the man."

Yoshimitsu cringed, knowing that it was he who had done those damages to Bryan.

"I was in charge of that division. It was my job to piece him back together, to make him stronger and better than before. I made the machine; it has the ability to regenerate itself on the inside, biomechanical organs that are capable of healing more efficiently, better than real organ tissue. He's basically unstoppable. He wanted more weaponry, but I denied it to him. He would receive the procedure in a few months from the weapons division. But he wanted it now. That's why he was here last night, demanding advance weaponry. I cannot give it to him, not without the consent of the weapons department. I've explained it to him before but he won't take no for an answer." She rubbed her head, it aching since early this morning. "I wasn't the only one working with him. So I'm not sure what all else has been done to him. I only fixed him internally and partly externally, as in the biomechanical healing process. I have nothing to do with the weapons that have been given to him. I could probably get more information for you if I was allowed back into that lab, but they've taken my computer and everyone's been sent home…" the woman looked up at Yoshimitsu. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded and head down.

"Why am I even giving you this information? This could cost me my job, you know! They probably already know you're here. Oh shit!" The woman cursed. "You need to leave." She stood from her chair and grabbed Yoshimitsu by the arm. It felt strange underneath, but her anger was getting the best of her, she didn't care. Yoshimitsu, however, jerked under her grasp. He obviously wasn't used to close contact outside of battle. "You're putting me and yourself in danger by being here." She headed toward the door; Yoshimitsu followed her ungracefully as she tugged.

"Out with you." She moved behind him and shoved him toward the exit of her apartment. She reached around him to open the door.

Yoshimitsu spun around quickly, facing her. She bumped into him. His hands were held up submissively. They stood in front of each other a minute, awkward tension rising.

"You are in danger already." He spoke up. "I'm taking you with me."

"What?" the woman backed away. "You're crazy. I, I'll stay at a friend's house."

"You mean the one two blocks away? Or the one in Harajuku?" Yoshimitsu folded his arms, leaning forward to look down at her. The clear pane of glass over his helmet lit up brightly. Yoshimitsu operated the internal computer system within his helmet. Numerous files opened before his eyes. Then he proceeded to read off the addresses and phone numbers of Vera's friends, co-workers, and relatives. When he finished, the face cover returned to its normal transparent state. "Planning on anyone else?" he chuckled.

"How…how did you know that?" she trembled. She stared at the cover for a second and then all worry left her. "Wow! That helmet is amazing!" She was astonished by the technology of his outfit. "No! Wait! How'd you get that information?"

"If I know it, then that means Bryan does too." Yoshimitsu pointed. "He could've easily killed you, nothing will stop him the next time he's alone with you. There is no safe place you can go to."

"Unless I'm with you?" She let out an exasperated sigh.

"That is correct." He nodded.

The woman glared at him a moment, she was sizing him up. "Fine!" she threw up her arms and stomped into her bedroom. "Let me get my things! I still don't trust you, though!" she hollered. "May as well call the cops."

"The cops will do nothing for you." Yoshimitsu added. Vera darted out into the hall. She folded her arms and leaned against the doorframe.

"You sound sure of yourself." She puckered her lips. "Didn't you fall helpless last night for no reason and end up getting stabbed by your own sword?" she asked sarcastically.

Yoshimitsu cleared his throat. "I have internal issues that need to be dealt with. That will not happen again." He looked off to the side. Vera grinned. She was already getting a sense of the man's personality. He may not show his facial expressions, but his body language was a sure giveaway.

She decided to go with the man, in hopes of being able to study him and learn more about his suit. She gave him a shrug and went back into her room to pack. A knock at the door made her nearly jump out of her skin. She darted back out into the hall and froze. Yoshimitsu was peering through the peephole, his hand gripped the hilt of the katana. He slowly slipped the weapon from its sheath. The green glow reflected off the metallic surfaces of his armor. Vera held her breath, frightened.

"Who is it?" she hissed a whisper.

Yoshimitsu looked back at her. He made a few hand gestures, pointing this way and that. Vera stared at him blankly.

"I don't speak ninja." She kept her voice low.

Yoshimitsu slapped at his forehead. His hand hit the covering instead. He ran up to her quickly, grabbing her arm and leading her back into her bedroom and opening a window.

"What are you doing?" She asked loudly.

He shook his head, holding a finger to his mask's lips.

There was a loud crash as the front door of her apartment was kicked in. Yoshimitsu quickly pushed a couple buttons under the backside of his helmet.

Three soldiers filed into the small apartment. They checked the rooms thoroughly before moving on. In seconds they were in Vera's bedroom. She yelped in surprise, a surgical scalpel in her hands.

"What are you doing?" She screamed.

"Ma'am, we have orders to infiltrate your place and look for evidence. We were also ordered to check up on your safety." One soldier announced, weapon in hand. They were Mishima military, also called the Tekken Force.

"My safety? Look at what you did to my door!" The woman shouted. She looked at her smashed door through the hallway.

"We are to take you to the base with us." He grabbed her by the arm, roughly.

"Hey!" she screamed.

She struggled with him only for a moment before his grip loosened. The man made a few choking sounds, the two other soldiers watching warily.

"What's wrong?" the second soldier asked.

A bright green glow floated in the air. It stabbed into the first soldier. Yoshimitsu kicked upward, his foot colliding with the second man. The third was picked up and thrown across the room, hitting the wall. All the while, Yoshimitsu remained hidden to the eye. He turned, grabbing Vera's arm again. He slowly reemerged out of thin air. Vera stared at him in horror.

"You…you stabbed him!" She dropped her scalpel to the floor. Yoshimitsu drug her to the window and pointed at the ground. He turned his gaze to her. There were sounds of approaching soldiers outside in the hall of the apartment complex. "You've got to be kidding me!"

He covered her mouth, lifted her off the ground, and leapt out the fifth floor window just as more soldiers entered the apartment. They dropped into a puddle of water in the alleyway. Yoshimitsu set the woman on her feet and ran, dragging her with him. She was already breathing heavily. They neared the corner as two soldiers rounded it. They pointed and shouted something in their radios. They didn't hesitate to open fire on the couple. Yoshimitsu shoved Vera against the brick wall behind a dumpster. She covered her head, screaming. Yoshimitsu sprinted down the alleyway, sword drawn. He noticed there were bullets from in front, behind and above. He twirled his blade, reflected most of the bullets, his armor taking care of the rest. He jumped to the side, running horizontally across the building wall. He pushed off of it, slicing downward across one of the soldiers and kicked forward at the other. He tugged his blade, removing it from the man's body and pushed it forward into the other's. He turned, reflecting a few bullets from behind and ran back to where he came. He hopped onto the dumpster Vera was behind and grabbed the patios of each apartment and scaled them from side to side, dodging the bullets as they rained down upon him from above. He held his sword vertically and drove upward. It cut into one man's helmet. He pulled out the blade, letting the man drop to the floor and reached with his free arm around the other man's neck. Yoshimitsu dropped from the fifth floor, carrying the soldier downward with him. He spiraled downward to the ground, letting the man's head take most of the impact, cracking the pavement. Yoshimitsu released the broken body and trudged to the last two soldiers at the end of the alleyway. He jumped into the air, blocking the setting sun. The two soldiers squint, trying to get a better view, but it was too late. Yoshimitsu already had dug his blade into one's chest and had pinned the other against the wall at his neck by his foot. He spun, removing the katana and sending it across the other man's body. Yoshimitsu sheathed his sword and motioned for Vera to run to him. She was already on her feet sprinting toward him. He grabbed her hand and they darted around the corner and down the street before backup arrived.

It was too late. A Mishima truck full of soldiers screeched to a halt right in front of them. Yoshimitsu pushed her back into another alleyway, telling her to hide. He pulled out the Tachi from its sheath, it glowing so brilliantly it hurt to look at it.

"Orders to terminate authorized!" one soldier hollered as he leapt from the back end of the truck, the others filing out. Yoshimitsu narrowed his eyes, feeling anger build within himself.

A group of ten hopped out, opening fire without a second thought. Yoshimitsu went about the same ordeal as before, dodging, leaping, running and slicing away from the bullets. He dropped and rolled toward one soldier. He spun to his feet, cutting into the man's torso. He lifted the combatant and tossed him to the side onto two other men. He jumped, dropping the blade into one's back and pulling it out to slice sideways across another's chest. He kicked another soldier across the face, his neck popping loudly. Yoshimitsu kicked behind him into the stomach of another attacker, picked the man up and dropped him onto his head. He was lucky; a few bullets ricocheted off his armor and into another soldier. That left the two on the ground struggling with the body lying on top of them. Yoshimitsu walked behind them casually and knocked them both in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword, rendering them unconscious. He looked over his shoulder at Vera who was making her way toward the truck's passenger seat.

One last soldier hopped out of the passenger seat, the driver. He grabbed Vera and twirled around her, gun against her temple. Yoshimitsu jumped onto the truck. He growled angrily as he leapt into the air, down toward the man. The soldier lifted his weapon and fired once, the bullet crashing right into the glass covering of Yoshimitsu's helmet. Vera screamed, waiting for the ninja to drop dead. He kept falling down, however, sending his sword into the man's chest by the shoulder. Vera jumped out of the way as Yoshimitsu stood on the man on the ground, removed his katana and re-stabbed him to make sure he was dead. He looked at Vera, sheathing his weapon.

"You alright?" he asked. There was a large crack in front of his forehead of the covering.

"Bulletproof…" Vera let out a breath. She looked down at the man on the ground. "You killed them…so many." She mumbled to herself. She climbed into the truck and stared out the windshield. The ninja ignored her comments.

Yoshimitsu hopped into the driver's seat. He grabbed the steering wheel and stared at the dashboard. He looked to the side, stick shift, and then at the gauges. Vera watched him, mouth gaping.

"WHAT?" she breathed heavily. "Don't tell me you can't drive stick!"

He gave her a helpless look, a defeated hang of the head and a small shrug.

"My god! It's a wonder where you get all your technology from, obviously not from you. Damn it!" She opened the door and dropped to the ground, running around the front side of the car. Yoshimitsu did the same, trotting around the vehicle. Vera mumbled all the while, griping about men and the simple act of driving a car.

Vera gave the man an angry glare as he buckled his seat belt in the passenger's seat. He didn't dare look at her. She started the truck and stomped on the gas, revving the engine and speeding away from the site. Yoshimitsu gripped the handle above his head by the window in a hurry.

"Where to, all mighty one?" Vera growled through gritted teeth.

"Outside the city. We'll dump the truck there." The man answered quickly.

"Dump the truck?" Vera sighed. "And were gonna have to walk the rest of the way to your place?"

He nodded.

The rest of the ride was in silence.

* * *

Vera watched as the Mishima Tekken Force's military truck rolled over the side of a cliff into its watery grave. It was cold; Vera pulled her jacket around her tightly as a harsh wind rushed by. Her teeth chattered. She looked up, feeling as if she was being watched. Yoshimitsu was staring at her. He held out his arms and shook his head sadly. She gave him a small smile. She knew that if he had, he would give her his coat.

"Well…" She began as the two started walking into the dark woods. "I guess we never really introduced ourselves. I'm Vera Mihailov, sure you knew that already…" She laughed to herself.

He kept walking, not really minding her chatter.

"So, what should I call you?" She looked at him sideways. "Do you have a name or should I just call you kidnapper?"

"I didn't kidnap you." He muttered.

"I dunno…sure seems like it." She grinned as he let out a sigh. She could already tell this guy was going to be fun to pick on. "Ninja?" She suggested.

"Yoshimitsu…" He finally responded.

"What a day, right Yoshimitsu?" She hooked her arm with his.

What a day it had been indeed. And Vera could tell this night was going to be a long one as well.

* * *

Okay end of chapter three! Hope you all liked it, please review and let me know what you think. Like is, dislike it? What would you like to see, etc. thanks! -Annubis


	4. Chapter 4

Hey! Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate it! **Warrayfin**: don't worry. I'm not gonna stop writing. I just don't have the money for a psp and crisis core at the moment and Yoshimitsu is a pretty cool character if you give him a 's just a new craving I've had lately. Anyways! I'm glad I'm actually getting hits on this story, I've looked and outta all the tekken stories there are only 24 that have Yoshimitsu in them and only like…4 that feature him as a main character with any romance or female interaction at all lol! Anyways, let's get to it, shall we? –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 4**

Vera yawned loudly, adding her own pitch to the singing cicadas in the forest. Yoshimitsu slowed his pace, looking over his shoulder. He was so deep in thought about his target he didn't realize how far he had trudged ahead of the woman. She was shivering. Vera rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to keep them warm. It had cooled significantly these past few nights, fall was fast approaching. Yoshimitsu stopped. Vera nearly ran into him, busy staring at the leaves on the ground.

Vera looked up at the man. Glowing red eyes stared back. "Am I moving too slow?" the woman asked. The sound of her voice seemed outrageously loud. There was barely any conversation since they left her apartment that day. The journey to his encampment seemed to have taken days to get to rather than a few hours.

"…" He shook his head and stared at her a moment longer, making her feel very uncomfortable. "You're cold." He stated simply.

"Yeah…" the woman breathed a laugh. "Are we almost there?" He nodded in response.

"Over the next hill. Perhaps we could run, keep your body warm." He suggested.

Vera laughed. "You want me to run!? I'm already sore from that run earlier today. I'm a scientist not an athlete."

"You look fit." He shrugged. Vera felt warmth spread over her cheeks. Did he just feed her a compliment?

"I eat right I suppose…" the woman began walking, wanting to get out of the dark and cold woods and get to a warm place inside the village. "It is warm where you live, right?"

"It's as warm there as it is the city," he answered.

"I mean, you have electricity, right? Heaters?" She gave him a hopeful glance.

"Most of the electricity is used for the lab, run off generators and solar power. We use fire as our source of light and heat." The man walked along side her closely. As he talked he motioned with his hands. Vera smiled. He had the most expressive body language she had ever seen in a person. Probably for the lack of facial features he had to adapt in some way to express himself.

"So back to the stone ages then?" The woman smirked sadly.

"I grew up in an age without electricity." The man chuckled. Vera raised a brow, was he joking about the way of the ninja? If not, how old was this guy?

"You mentioned a lab." The woman grinned. "What did you mean by that?"

"A lab." He shrugged. "Much like the one you've worked in." He glanced at her. Her eyes flickered with excitement. Yoshimitsu smiled. This woman certainly loved technology; he however didn't understand any of it.

"Can I see it!?" She beamed.

"Perhaps." That was all he said.

"Perhaps!? That's it!? You may or may not show me!? But, I'm a scientist! You have to show me! I mean…you kidnapped me so I think it's only fair that you show me around your place," she rambled.

"Didn't kidnap you."

"You still have to show me." The woman folded her arms in a huff. "Maybe I _will_ run. I can't stand the suspense!" Vera giggled.

'Is she serious?' Yoshimitsu shook his head.

"No need to run." He slowed to a stop.

"Why?"

"We're already here." He poked what seemed to be absolutely nothing, the scenery before him changed into a static, like snow on the television. Yoshimitsu mumbled something in code. In a flash, the invisible wall lit up and dissipated, revealing large wooden gates.

Vera gaped at the sight. "Virtual camo?" The woman gasped, breathless. "It's like your suit! You have a defense like that to hide your entire village!?"

"Safety. We don't need people running in and out all the time." Yoshimitsu pushed against the large door. It creaked loudly in the night. "After you, miss."

Vera didn't wait a second. She hurried inside the walls, gawking at the sight before her. The night was lit up by campfire. Numerous ninja were busy with their lives, some socializing, others practicing. She suddenly felt very awkward as dozens of eyes stopped to stare at her. Many were not kind.

"Yoshimitsu." One called out, running toward the man. "Is everything alright? You were gone much longer than anticipated. You ran into trouble?" The ninja stared at the woman, looking her up and down. "You've brought a guest." He stated the obvious.

"I would like a room prepared. One near mine, if you don't mind." Yoshimitsu ordered. Vera stared at him awkwardly. "She needs to be protected. She's been targeted."

"Yes sir!" The ninja gave a small salute and sprint away at a speed almost unnatural.

Yoshimitsu began walking away toward the collection of buildings near the right side of the camp. Vera ran to catch up. She couldn't help but feel uneasy at the numerous whispers behind her back. There were women in simple clothing, something that reminded her of what the people outside the city in the small villages wore. These women stared at Vera's clothing. Some giggled and pointed. Some of the female ninja folded their arms, glaring disapprovingly. The men just stared, their expressions unreadable.

"They're all staring…," Vera whispered to Yoshimitsu.

He looked from side to side. "Oh? Well we haven't had any visitors like you for years."

"Years?" Vera bit her lower lip.

"We prefer to stay hidden from the outside world." The man stepped up onto a wooden veranda and walked up to a building that looked different from all the rest, made of scrap metal rather than wood, bamboo, and rice paper. Beside the door was a strange, old device. It looked much like a motor.

'Is this the lab?' The woman frowned.

Yoshimitsu opened the door. He walked into the darkness, Vera following closely. It was pitch black inside. The door behind her slammed shut loudly. Vera jumped. She turned toward the door, coming face to face with shimmering eyes. A low mechanical hum sounded as Yoshimitsu flicked a switch beside the door. Vera's eyes struggled to adjust to the florescent lighting that lit the room like daylight.

"Here it is." The man walked toward a medical table in the center of the room. He leaned against the table and held his hands out, looking about the room.

"This is your lab?" Vera asked nervously. It didn't seem anything like she had imagined. Then, she saw the equipment. "Wow!" She ran toward the table beside Yoshimitsu. He slid to the side, giving her room to look around.

Vera leaned across the table, staring at the computer. "Look at this data! It's amazing!" Yoshimitsu cleared his throat. The data was about him. "Strange… It's much like the data on Bryan's old perpetual generator! Except there are more biographical maps." She tapped a few keys on the keyboard. "This is strange! I've never seen anything like this! I wonder what it's for?" She looked over at Yoshimitsu. He was staring at the floor. Suddenly a knothole in a wooden plank looked very interesting.

Vera rushed past the man, her interest falling on something else. "Look at these machines! They are all made out of scraps and items you can buy at an everyday store! Is that a microwave?" The woman laughed, glancing back at Yoshimitsu. His back was to her. "Well…whoever did this is a genius! I've never seen anyone build a machine like this from scratch." She stared at the tools lining the walls. Some looked like they came out of a horror movie.

'What would he need that for!? That's…a bone saw.' She shivered. It was cold in here but she didn't think her shivers had to do only with the temperature. She ran her fingers along a tray beside the table Yoshimitsu was leaning against. He watched her intently.

"These are autopsy tools…" The woman swallowed.

Yoshimitsu sneered. "Why do you think I brought you here?" He turned to face her, pinning her against the table as he slammed two hands on either side of her.

"W, what!?" She stammered.

Vera leaned away, her hand resting behind her for support. The ninja leaned in closer, making the woman tremble. She looked at the tools lying on the tray beside her.

A low, cruel laugh resonated within the ninja. He quickly moved away from the woman and resumed his earlier position against the table.

Vera stared at him in disbelief. "You…ass!" She slapped him against the arm. He only laughed harder.

Vera took in her surroundings once more, ignoring the man beside her. "This place is amazing. Whose lab is this? Yours?"

"No!" he laughed again. "I'm not even aloud to touch anything," the man sighed. "It…" he abruptly stopped speaking. He took a deep, raspy breath.

"It?" Vera raised her brows.

Yoshimitsu groaned suddenly, his hands pushing against the abdominal plates of his armor. He stumbled forward, his breathing heavy.

"Yoshimitsu!? Are you alright?" She reached for him, holding onto his shoulders. The touch startled him, making him twitch at first. Vera stared at his hands; they were gripping at the armor, scratching at it. He dropped to his knees. "Your stomach?" The woman kneeled in front of him, holding him up. His head drooped. "Is it your wound!?"

He was silent a moment, settling his breathing. Soon he pushed back to his feet and turned away from her, leaning forward against the tabletop. It was as if nothing had happened. He glared at the computer screen across from him. "I'm fine," he said coldly.

"Fine?" The woman watched him. He seemed calm. He wasn't trembling, he wasn't breathing heavily and he seemed plenty capable of maintaining balance.

"I'm alright. Sorry to have startled you. It was only a short pain. I get that sometimes. I'm just tired." He looked at her and gave her a small smile even though she couldn't see it.

"Always your stomach?" she asked, looking down at his abdomen and waist. The armor was a thick golden metal itself and even then the man still was thin in the middle. "Well no wonder! Look at how skinny you are!" She poked him in the side where there was a gap of cloth between the thick panels of armor. "No wonder you are so weak! Do you ever eat?"

He jolted to the side away from her. His hand gripped his side where she had poked him. He looked down at her, not moving. "And you're ticklish!" she giggled, poking him again on his opposite side. A small noise emitted from the man as he stepped back again, pointing a finger at her.

'She gets used to new people quickly…' Yoshimitsu watched her carefully.

She placed her hands on her hips, looking at him disapprovingly. "You're way too skinny for your height! I bet you don't even weigh one fifty!"

"Close…" The man shrugged. She smiled poking him once again. He grunted, snatched up her hand and held it up. She was forced to look up at him. "But then again, I don't have much left on the inside…"

Vera's expression changed into one that held a look of concern.

"You have much more on the inside than all the people I've ever met." Dr. Boskonovitch muttered happily as he entered the room through a door in the back. Yoshimitsu released the woman's hand.

Vera's eyes widened. "You're…!"

"Dr. Boskonovitch." He introduced himself. "Or Dr. B as most of the clan members call me." He gave a hearty laugh.

"Impossible! They…it was on the news! You're supposed to be dead!" The woman walked around Yoshimitsu and approached the doctor.

"True." The doctor smirked. "My lab was sent to ruins and I, along with many members of the Manji clan, was attacked. Many did not make it out alive. Yoshimitsu, however," he bowed his head toward the said man. "…came to the rescue just in time. I was able to put myself in that machine over there in the corner, save myself set by the computers own functions. It was a dangerous thing to do, but I had to. It was not time for me to leave."

"So you faked your own death?" Vera questioned. "But…what about your family?"

"It was a necessary thing. The Manji clan and I would have only been prey of the Mishima Zaibatsu if we let them know I was still alive." Dr. B walked slowly to where Yoshimitsu stood. "As for family, Yoshimitsu and the clan are all I have left." Yoshimitsu tore his gaze away from the young woman.

"That's not true." Vera shook her head, on the verge of tears. Her emotions seemed to be able to change from one another like a switch.

"Not true?" Dr. Boskonovitch repositioned his glasses on his face. He narrowed his eyes. "My dear…who are you?"

"Vera." She shook hands with the doctor, a large smile on her face. "Dr. Vera Mihailov."

"Vera Mihailov!?" He gawked. "My god! I thought you were in the states with your mother!" He hugged the woman. Vera happily returned the gesture.

"No…" Vera shook her head, pulling away. She wiped at a tear by the corner of her eye. "Mom…died a few years ago." Yoshimitsu stiffened upon hearing the news.

"She did!?" Dr. B mumbled to himself. "Well I'm very sorry. I've been in a self exile for quite the many years now. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it to the funeral."

"It's alright. I imagine it would have been hard to gain the word of her death. Dad's been gone since I was a child." That news sent another blow to Yoshimitsu's heart.

'Lost her whole family at such a young age…' the ninja stared at the knot hole on the floor.

"That was much unfortunate news." Dr. Boskonovitch shook his head sadly. "I was glad I could make it to his funeral, however. I believe you were still in Russia at that time."

"Yes!" Vera nodded quickly. "You were there?"

"Of course, my dear! Why you were attached to my hip the entire time!" The man chuckled.

"I barely remember!" The woman giggled back. She stumbled over a few words. She took a relaxing breath. "I…I just can't believe you're alive!" She hugged him again. "I've dreamt of the day I could meet you again, to work alongside you! You're the reason I got into the field of science. I read all your books! I went to the best schools in Europe and America, finished my training here in Japan. I was offered the job at the Mishima Zaibatsu. I'm second in command of the scientific division!" she rambled cheerfully.

"Mishima!?" He was astounded. "You work for those awful people?"

"…Well…I…" She fumbled for words. "I wanted to be like you."

"They are horrible people. I am glad that nothing bad has happened to you while working there." The doctor looked over at Yoshimitsu.

"Actually, we've run into Bryan Fury issues once again." The ninja folded his arms. "I've brought Vera here for her own safety."

"Bryan!? My dear, what have you been doing running around with that man!? I thought he was disposed of, Yoshimitsu." The doctor rubbed his temples.

"I thought that as well."

"Wait." Vera stepped between the men. "You were the one who did _that_ to him?" She gawked at Yoshimitsu.

"…That is correct." He nodded slowly.

"There was barely anything left of the man!" she screamed.

"You don't understand this man. He is a monster. There's nothing human about him." the doctor explained.

"I, I had to piece that man back together," she stammered. "The perpetual generator. That was your machine, right?"

"Yes it was."

"I went to your old lab, in the Zaibatsu. They still had your belongings that were left there over twenty years ago. There were a few books, notes, diagrams. I took them all. I studied them, fascinating by the way!" She was getting excited now. "Then I found the generator inside of Bryan. I was able to reproduce my own version of the machine. I basically gave it an upgrade." She shrugged.

"You found my old notes!?" the man asked happily. "The ones on the perpetual generator!?"

"Yes."

"My dear! I've been looking for those for years! That machine in the corner… it's my new reproduction. I've been trying to build and create a newer and more efficient generator for years! When Bryan destroyed my lab, he burnt everything in my collection. I've had to rely on memory alone to rebuild it."

"Wait, Bryan…destroyed your lab?"

"Yes. That is why we must stop him. He killed Yoshimitsu's family members. Almost killed me." Dr. Boskonovitch patted Yoshimitsu on the shoulder.

"I need the doctor," the ninja spoke up.

"You need the doctor? For what?" the woman asked curiously.

"Yoshimitsu is very special. After many injuries, he's needed me to build and repair bio-mechanical organs on the inside of his body," he began.

"That explains why you were barely bleeding the other night." Vera stared at Yoshimitsu's mid section. She had no idea. It made since why Dr. B had those strange tools in his lab.

"Precisely. Now, after many years, his body has begun deteriorating on the inside. That's why I needed the perpetual generator. I was initially going to place it within Yoshimitsu's body, but He found Bryan Fury dying in Dr. Abel's lab. Being the good man as he is, Yoshimitsu brought Bryan to me. In order to save the man, I had to install the perpetual generator." Vera watched Yoshimitsu. He had his arms folded and he looked off to the side.

"And what about Yoshimitsu?" Vera asked.

"He gave up my research and machine in order to save Bryan's life."

"You gave up the opportunity for that man?" Vera looked troubled by this.

"And he repaid us by destroying my lab, my research, and many members of the clan," he laughed at the irony. "Luckily Yoshimitsu wasn't there."

"I could've stopped him. I should've been there," the ninja stated bitterly.

"I couldn't imagine what the outcome would have been if he had attacked you, if he would have killed you," Dr. Boskonovitch murmured. "I owe you a great deal, Yoshimitsu."

"So that's why you need the files," the woman added. "You need your research in order to save Yoshimitsu."

"His insides are falling apart like rust. I'm afraid time is running short." The doctor frowned.

"But I don't have the documents with me. I have them in a safe box at the apartment. No doubt, the Mishima military found it. It's probably been brought to the science division or the military's investigation labs," Vera sighed loudly. She had barely any sleep the night before and she was sure that morning was going to come about soon.

"I can find them," Yoshimitsu offered. "I've broken into the Zaibatsu numerous times. I'm sure I can handle it."

"We can check my apartment first, just in case. And I can get a few things," Vera added. "Then once we have those we can work together, right doctor?"

"That would be a blessing, Vera," the doctor said as he smiled. "My friend, we'll find help for you in no time!"

"How did you two meet?" The woman leaned against the table beside Yoshimitsu.

"That was quite some time ago, wasn't it Yoshimitsu?" The scientist thought long and hard. "Nearly thirty years ago, correct?"

"Around that." The warrior nodded.

"I met him after the first tournament held by Heihachi Mishima. The poor man was missing an arm. I took it upon myself to help him out, installing a mechanical prosthetic."

"Like a robotic arm!?" Vera's eyes widened. She turned to Yoshimitsu, looking at his arms. He held out his left hand.

Without a word she grabbed his hand, pulling the glove off. Yoshimitsu pulled away at first, not wanting her to see it. She grabbed his arm anyways.

"This is amazing! You built this thirty years ago?" She gawked, running her fingers up and down his metallic digits.

"Old Technology, but that's easy to fix and upgrade." Dr. Boskonovitch watched Vera with great interest. He got a kick out of Yoshimitsu's unease. It had been many years since Yoshimitsu ever allowed anyone to see his real self. "You should have seen the first prototype. Child's play today," he laughed.

Vera grabbed the skin tight sleeve of Yoshimitsu's uniform. His arm was solid. It was mechanized but still held the shape and structure of a normal appendage. There was multiple prosthetics that played the part of muscle and tendons. There were even artificial nerves.

"Do you feel this?" Vera asked quietly as she ran her fingers up and down the man's arm. Yoshimitsu breathed in slowly.

"A little…" He nodded.

"This is amazing! You…you accomplished to make nerve endings mechanically. It's just like having a real arm." The woman smiled.

"I've been working on the sensitivity. One day he nearly burned off his hand. He was sitting too close to a Bunsen burner." The doctor chuckled. Vera laughed, playing with Yoshimitsu's fingers. The ninja rubbed the back of his helmet.

"This is great! Dr. Boskonovitch, I would love to help you out. This is the greatest thing I've ever seen! I mean, Yoshimitsu…you have such an interesting body!" she exclaimed. It was Yoshimitsu's turn to blush, luckily his mask hid that.

"Seems the old man is still getting used to personal contact." The scientist smiled at Vera.

"Old man?" Vera looked up at Yoshimitsu. 'So maybe he wasn't joking about growing up in an age with no electricity…'

"Yoshimitsu is in his nineties," the doctor explained.

"Oh." Vera felt her heart sink a bit. She wasn't sure why it was so disappointing to know he was an elderly man. "You're quite agile for an old man."

"More agile than the day I met him. He saved me from the Zaibatsu. They were going to have me executed. I owe him my life." The doctor stretched, his shoulder popping.

"So that means you were in your sixties when you first met the doctor," Vera added.

"But, of course, the regeneration capabilities of the organs have allowed the man to continually heal and regenerate himself, making him younger and healthier than before." The doctor walked behind Yoshimitsu. Vera watched him curiously. "Doesn't look a day over thirty." He winked at the woman.

Vera opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She was sure Yoshimitsu could see her embarrassment. The ninja spun around quickly, looking at the doctor. He folded his arms.

"Don't give me that look, Yoshi." The doctor waved a finger at him.

"It's late," Yoshimitsu spoke, his glare not faltering.

"Indeed it is." The doctor nodded as he yawned. "Time to get rest. You need it. And my poor Vera! I'm sure she is exhausted! Why don't you show her to her room?" Dr. Boskonovitch patted the ninja on the back. He headed for the back door that he had entered from. "Goodnight my dear." He waved a hand at Vera before leaving the room. Silence smothered the mood of the lab.

"I'll show you to your room," Yoshimitsu sighed heavily.

"Can I call you Yoshi?" Vera giggled.

"No," the man groaned.

He led her out of the lab and down the long wooden veranda. She thought her footsteps were too loud compared to Yoshimitsu's. She walked closely behind him. There were barely any people about but the few who were stared just as much as before.

"I'll talk to them about staring," Yoshimitsu stated. He stopped before a sliding door decorated with flower printed, rice paper windows.

"…" Vera fidgeted uncomfortably. It was deathly quiet. Right now she was standing alone in the darkness next to the ninja.

"This is your room." He slid open the door. A bright orange glow flooded out into the walkway. There was a fire already prepared, blankets and a small bowl of rice. Vera just remembered how hungry she was. "I hope it is to your liking."

"It's great!" Vera smiled, genuinely happy. It looked cozy and it felt like she was on a vacation. Yoshimitsu guided her in. "Thank you!"

"If there's anything you need at all, just let me know. You are our guest. The baths are through that door." He pointed to a door on the opposite side of the room. "And the doctor's lab will be open to you at all times." The woman was happy he trusted her so much. He bowed to her quickly and then turned to leave the room.

"Um…" Vera tugged on her hands.

"Yes?" The man faced her.

"I…don't have anything to change into," she whispered.

"…" He stared at her, almost as if he didn't understand.

"I didn't get to pack anything. We left in such a hurry," she stuttered awkwardly.

"I'll go for your things tomorrow then. And while I'm there I'll look for the doctor's files."

"I'm coming with you. It's got a lock combination; also…I'm not letting you go through my underwear drawer." She folded her arms mocking him.

"I…Your?" He cleared his throat.

"Tomorrow morning?" the woman asked with disappointment.

"As soon as you're ready. We must leave before noon though." He nodded to her.

"I can do that." She nodded back.

"Then that's the mission."

"Mission?"

"Correct," he said slowly.

"Does that mean I'm officially ninja?" she asked hopefully. She lifted her hands punching the air and making strange high pitched noises. Yoshimitsu chuckled, it reminding him very much of a man he met in the tournaments, Marhsall Law.

"Not quite…," he smirked at her. "I'll be right back." He lifted a finger and walked out the door.

Vera was left alone. She walked about the room, looking at the decorations lining the walls. It was like an extravagant hotel. The thought amused her. She stood before the fire, warming herself.

"Here." His voice entered her thoughts. Vera spun around. Yoshimitsu held in his hands a pile of clothes. He looked down at them and scoffed. "They are old, but in good shape. I'm afraid it's the smallest size I have. I didn't think about preparing clothing for you."

"These are yours?" she beamed, taking them from his hands. He nodded in response. "I can't wait!" Why was she all giddy?

"You like…ninjas a lot, don't you?" he asked her.

"I love 'em!" she laughed. "Well…from movies from when I was a little girl. I mean, I always thought they were cool. Never thought…ninjas like you really existed."

"Then I'll leave you with your first, real ninja clothing." The man shook his head, amused with the woman. He headed for the door once again. "I'm down the way." He pointed. She stuck her head out the door.

"The big one with the clan symbol on it?" she muttered.

"Correct." He was surprised she noticed it was the clan's symbol. She was a very observant person.

"So…" She stumbled back into her room. He watched her with no response. "Thank you, for helping me."

"…" He nodded to her again.

"I'm sure they'll fit fine," the woman referred to the clothing in her hands. "I mean, you're so skinny as it is."

He looked down at himself. "Really?" he asked.

Vera couldn't help herself. The man was a mystery, an enigma. Anything at all that she could do to make him respond and seem more normal was worth trying. Her finger poked him in the side once again. She left her finger inside the armor, digging into him, tickling him. The man literally jumped, hitting the door behind him. He fumbled for her hand. He snatched it and squeezed it hard. His head lifted to meet her gaze. A low, nasty growl sounded from the man. Vera felt goose bumps on her skin.

'Uh oh…I think I made him mad!' the woman bit her lip.

Yoshimitsu took a step forward. She staggered backward, tugging her hand away. She was frightened now. Before she could blink he was lunging forward toward her. She screamed as his hands grabbed her sides and he tickled her back.

"Oh my god!" she laughed aloud. She dropped the clothing. He tickled her for a few seconds, her laughs loud and high pitched. Yoshimitsu pulled away from her quickly.

"Goodnight." He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him without saying another word.

"…Night…" Vera stared at the screen. What had just happened? She shrugged the thought away.

She looked about her surroundings before she lifted the clothing from off the floor and ventured to the small mattress on the floor. She lifted the first article, an old black shirt that tied in the front. It looked like a ninja uniform. There were matching pants with it. Pretty basic but she figured it'd do until she got her own clothing. She slipped into her brand new hand-me-downs and stared at her reflection in a tiny wall mirror. The clothes were still too long and a bit baggy.

"Cute," she murmured.

She was left to reflect on the day, the attack from the Mishima Zaibatsu, Doctor Boskonovitch, her plans for tomorrow, and above all, she couldn't tear her thoughts from the man only a few doors away, Yoshimitsu.

"Such a strange man," she whispered to herself as she slipped into bed, covering herself with the soft blankets of silk and animal fur. She lifted her rice bowl from off the floor and brought the chopsticks to her lips.

'I could get used to this place.' She yawned. The thought kind of scared her, being stuck here forever with no contact from the outside world with only her and the ninjas, Dr. B, and Yoshimitsu.

'Being with that man forever.' The thought was a little unnerving. 'I wonder…would I ever get to see his face then?' She smiled, trying to imagine what he looked like behind the mask.

* * *

**NOTE**: On the subject of Yoshimitsu's age. I had found on some online resources that Yoshimitsu was around 65 at the time of tekken 2. Now, as it's been like 30 years later on the Tekken timeline Yoshimitsu would be in his 90s. I also found resources that said by the time of tekken 6 he'd be about 95. So, just a side note.

:Ending it here for the night. Thanks for reading and reviewing I greatly appreciate it! -Annubis

PS...Ok...whats up with this place suddenly making the line seperations invisible!? now i have to go through every story and chapter ive ever posted and go back through and seperate sections! so now...i have to use to do that. Wth??


	5. Chapter 5

Finally got everything edited…again! Had to add the separation marks twice in every chapter of every story I wrote. GAH! So, sorry about the slight delay in this. I was busy yesterday putting in lines. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing I appreciate it! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 5**

A swift knock on the thin door awoke Vera from her deep sleep.

"Mwa?" the woman moaned, rotating slowly on her floor bed.

She heard the sound of clattering dishes outside her door. Vera raised her head, watching as the door gently slid open. Bright sunlight flooded into the room. She groaned and covered her head with the blanket.

"You're still sleeping?" It was Yoshimitsu's voice.

"Yoshimitsu!?" The woman sat up, startled. She could feel the chill air blowing into her room.

"Are you not feeling well?" the man asked.

"…I'm fine, why do you ask?" the woman yawned loudly.

"Because you have not eaten." The man raised his hands. Vera saw that he was holding two bowls of rice. "You've missed breakfast and lunch. They set the bowls outside the door each meal time."

"Oh, I must've slept through…wait, did you say lunch?" The woman's eyes bugged out. "What time is it!?"

"Only a little past noon," the man chuckled. He stood above the woman.

"I'm so sorry, Yoshimitsu! I had no idea what time it was! I'm used to having an alarm," the woman stammered.

"All is well." He held out both bowls to the woman. "Which is it you want? Breakfast rice or lunch rice."

'Not much of a selection is there?' The woman gave him a smirk.

"How can you tell the difference?" She combed her fingers through her hair.

"Well…" He raised one and looked at it. "This one is cold. And this one is still warm." He handed her the warm bowl.

"Thanks," the woman laughed lightly.

"Once you are finished, meet me by the front gate. We will leave as soon as you are ready." Yoshimitsu gave her a quick nod and made his way to the door.

She watched him leave; he set the second bowl outside her door on the walkway before shutting the entrance. As soon as he was gone she quickly began eating. Vera finished her lunch in what seemed like only a few bites.

'No wonder he's so skinny… Is every meal like this?'

Her eyes fell to the door of her room. She trotted to it and slowly slid it open and reached around the corner to grab her breakfast.

"May as well not let it go to waste!" The woman finished that bowl as she got dressed. She looked at herself in the mirror. "Man, I look like crap." She bit her lip and stared at the door Yoshimitsu had pointed at last night, the one that led to her bath.

"I've got to take a bath," the woman sighed loudly and quickly threw off her clothes and rushed to the back behind the building. She wrapped a towel around her middle and slowly made her way to the steaming water that had been prepared for her.

'Just hurry, wash up and get out of here.' The woman looked around her cautiously. She never felt so nervous in her entire life. She dropped her towel and dove in.

"You know, usually people keep their towels on when they go to the baths." Vera yelped at the intruding voice. "But it's alright, you're new here," the woman laughed. She was a female ninja. She slipped into the water, handing Vera her towel. The woman was in her thirties and quite beautiful.

"I didn't know these were public." The female scientist felt her face burning.

"Only to other women, so no worry there." The woman gave her a friendly smile. "So, I hear you and Yoshimitsu are going out on a mission."

"Yeah." Vera nodded quickly. "Just to run and get some things I had left behind."

"You watch him; he is always getting into trouble," the woman advised.

"I've noticed," Vera frowned.

"But there's no one else I would rather you go with. He's the best there is." The woman wiped at her arms with a washcloth. "I mean he is the leader after all."

"He is quite amazing from what I've seen." The scientist began to feel less nervous.

"You know how to defend yourself?" The ninja raised her brows.

"De, defend myself?" Vera stuttered.

"In case you two are attacked. Yoshimitsu may be good, but he's not immortal. If he gets outnumbered, you two are in trouble."

"I've never fought anyone before," Vera admitted. "Well, there was this one time in the third grade, but I don't think that really counts."

"Probably not," the woman laughed. "Tell you what! When you get back, I'll give you some training. How's that sound?"

"I'm not going to get my ass kicked, am I?" Vera gave her a nervous look.

"No, nothing like that. I'll teach you the basics in defense and maybe some shuriken or dagger throwing," she explained.

"Sounds like a plan!" Vera grinned.

"I'll keep an eye out for you for when you get back tonight. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be meeting him?" She tilted her head, listening to what, Vera had no idea.

"Oh! I almost forgot! Sorry! I have to go!" Vera hopped out of the water and rushed to the door of the room. "Thank you, uh…"

"Masumi," the woman said with a smile.

"Masumi. I'm Vera. It was nice meeting you!" Masumi nodded in response. Vera darted into her room, slamming the door behind her.

"What a scatter brain," Masumi laughed. "I'll have much to teach her."

* * *

"Were the baths to your liking?" Yoshimitsu asked as Vera hurried toward the gate.

"Oh, um yes!" Vera fidgeted. "Sorry!"

"There is nothing to worry about." Yoshimitsu chuckled. "We'll make good time today; the weather is fair for now. But we must hurry as rain is called for tonight."

"Double time then is it?" Vera asked.

"Certainly." Yoshimitsu nodded.

The gates opened and the two were released into the forest. The journey was going much quicker than it had the night before. Vera was dreading it at first, feeling that she had barely any rest and that she had only been out of the woods for only minutes. But the daylight made everything more vibrant and interesting. This forest was beautiful. Off to the side, an hour or two away, was a vast lake, it stretched for miles.

"You growing tired?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"Hm? No." Vera shook her head.

"It seems you've slowed your pace." Yoshimitsu looked down at the woman.

"I must be distracted," Vera sighed.

"Distracted?"

"The forest is so much more interesting in the daylight," she smiled. "The leaves are beautiful. And the birds are so cheerful. I don't think I've been outside the city in years."

"I'm glad you like it." Yoshimitsu glanced upward to watch the puffy white clouds overhead. "Much more peaceful than the city?"

"Very!" the woman nodded. "I've needed a vacation."

"But we're on a mission," Yoshimitsu added.

"This mission is like a vacation to me. I'm not confined in a small office with no windows. Half my days are spent in the dark in front of computers. Other days I'm staring at machines and reading through endless amounts of data. It's nice to see color again." She took a deep breath.

"Sometimes when you're in something for so long you forget the beauty in it. I've been to the city and it looks best at night. The glowing lights, you can see them from our camp. I sometimes sit upon the rooftops watching them." Yoshimitsu looked toward the distance; he could see the cityscape.

"I loved the city when I first moved here. The buildings' architecture, the lights were so amazing to look at. And the city has such a different mood when it rains. It's still beautiful. I love the rain. But it's also depressing." Vera closed her eyes, thinking of the sound of thunder.

"I've been there during some great storms and I will have to agree with you on that." The man nodded.

"Like the other night?" the woman asked.

"Yes. But when you're on a mission you do not have the time to relax and enjoy the weather."

"I can see why. When you're focusing on something like Bryan Fury, you can't even blink." The woman breathed a laugh.

"Exactly."

Vera kicked at a rock on the ground. "So…what's it like?" The woman looked up at the man.

"What's what like?" He met her gaze.

"Being a ninja?" she grinned.

"…I'm not sure what you mean." Yoshimitsu shrugged.

"Is it cool!? Do you ever feel cool? Cause you look cool," the woman chatted.

"Cool?" He raised an eyebrow which she could not see.

"When you're doing all those flips and kicks! Does it make you feel agile and strong? Like you have this freedom to do whatever you want to do physically?" the woman tried to explain. "But then again, you've probably been doing it for so long you don't remember what it was like to not be able to do them. "

"I know it is not as hard to do those things now as it was when I was first learning," the man said after a moment.

"Like gymnastics," Vera concluded. "The more I practiced, the better I felt."

"You've had training?" Yoshimitsu asked with interest.

"Well, not like you. It was a tiny little studio in the city I lived in the US. I already knew how to do a few things and my mom let me go to the classes to learn more. But they were expensive. I had to quit because they charged too much. So, I didn't get to really learn anything new. By the time they went over the basics of everything and we began learning the cool stuff, I had to leave." She reminisced of the days of her childhood.

"That is too bad." The man shook his head.

"But I can still do a cartwheel!" Vera pointed out happily.

Yoshimitsu paused in his tracks. He watched her and folded his arms.

"What?" Vera tilted her head. He stuck out a hand, palm up, as if to say 'show me'. "You want me to do a cartwheel?" the woman laughed, shaking her head. "No! No, I'm too old."

"…" He cocked his head to the side and tapped his foot.

"Fine! If I do a cartwheel, then you do too!" She pointed a finger at the man. He looked up to the sky, sighing. "Here! Hold these." Vera took off her glasses and trotted to Yoshimitsu. She handed the item to him. "They'll fall off my face."

Yoshimitsu stared at the tiny glasses in his hand. For some reason they seemed interesting to him. They were thick rimmed and a dark red.

"You watching?" Vera asked. Yoshimitsu looked up quickly and nodded. "Okaaay!" she sighed apprehensively.

The woman trotted a few steps and around she went a perfect cartwheel. She yelped when she landed, pulling her shirt down and giggling. Yoshimitsu gave her a small golf clap. "Well, there it was. Your turn."

He thought a moment, finger on chin. He looked at the distance between him and her and then took a step forward to get his momentum. The man leapt into the air, rotating on his side repeatedly and flipping midair. He landed with his back to Vera and he effortlessly did a rotating back flip to turn and face her, handing the glasses back to her. She took them quickly, a sarcastic smile on her face.

"Ugh!" She rolled her eyes, setting the glasses on her face. "Show off!" She twirled around and headed back down the trail.

Yoshimitsu shrugged, shaking his head.

"I said you had to do a cartwheel!" the woman yelled at the man.

Vera strode away quickly. Yoshimitsu cartwheeled up next to the woman's side. He stared down at her and continued walking.

"Stop it!" She slapped him on the shoulder. "Make me look bad…"

Yoshimitsu chuckled. "You know, I can teach you."

"Teach me that Matrix flip you just did back there? Yeah right!" the woman laughed.

"Matrix?" He tilted his head in question.

"Ugh… you need to get out more, Yoshimitsu." The woman shook her head.

They were close to the city. It wouldn't be long before they'd be at her apartment. The two continued their small talk. Vera found out that Yoshimitsu had a sweet tooth. He had gotten to taste a chocolate chip cookie once and had fallen in love with them since. Vera promised to make him a batch. Yoshimitsu also enjoyed fishing and reading. Yoshimitsu found out about Vera that she loved to cook, spaghetti (whatever that is) was her favorite food, she liked to watch movies, loved cats, and had two boyfriends both sharing the name of Michael; one from high school and another in college. Before the two knew it, they were at the apartment building.

"That was probably the quickest trip I've ever had," the man said as he stared at the door. They walked quickly up the steps and into the building.

"Time goes by when you're having fun." Vera pushed the button on the elevator and they both rode up to her floor.

Yoshimitsu drew his sword. Vera watched him warily.

"Mission starts now. You get behind me. They may have people nearby watching. We have to be ready for anything," the man advised; his tone was serious. Vera waggled her head.

The bell to the elevator dinged and the doors slid open with a whoosh. The floor was quiet. Yoshimitsu silently trotted across the hall to the woman's apartment. Vera waited by the elevator. She stared at the entrance to her home. The door was still broken in; caution tape was spread over the entrance.

Yoshimitsu held out his hand, staring at the reflections in the metal on his glove guard. He stuck his head under the tape and slid into the apartment. Vera waited anxiously. After a moment Yoshimitsu's hand came out into the hall and he waved her in. She hurried into the room.

"It seems the place has been searched thoroughly. No one is here though." Yoshimitsu spoke.

"I'd say!" Vera stared at her home. It was trashed, her things torn apart and spread about. Some of the things in her bedroom had made their way to her kitchen. "Was all this necessary?" the woman growled with irritation.

"Grab your things, we must make hast." The man was more relaxed, but he kept his blade in hand.

"I'll be a minute." Vera rushed into her room. Luckily her clothes were still there, though thrown everywhere. She paused when she saw her underwear on the bed, spread out. "Ah! Pervs!" she exclaimed.

Yoshimitsu rushed into her room. "What happened?" He looked around. He paused when he saw Vera holding onto her panties.

"Yoshimitsu!" she yelled at him. He turned around quickly.

"My apologies!" he stammered.

"I'm going to change into some clean clothes. I'll be out in a minute." The woman gently pushed him out of her room and she closed her door behind him.

'How embarrassing…' the woman groaned.

Vera picked up a suitcase and began shoving as much as she could into it. It was loaded in no time, full of almost all her clothing. Vera quickly looked under her bed, the safe that held her science research was missing, just as she thought it would be. The woman sighed irritably and got back up to her feet. She picked up her favorite pair of jeans and t-shirt off the floor. There was no way she was leaving without this outfit.

Yoshimitsu shuffled about her apartment. The windows were all still open, letting the cold air in. He saw that it was already close to nightfall and the rain, or rather, sleet, had come early. He pushed away from the window frame and continued snooping about. The man stumbled across a few photographs. The man went through them, smiling. Some were of Vera as a small child, one with her holding a wooden bat of some sort and wearing a cap. Others were of her and her father and mother. Yoshimitsu removed them from their frames and carried them to her bedroom door. He slid them under the crack into the room.

"Hm?" Vera turned quickly, holding the shirt to her chest. She glanced at the floor to find the photographs on her carpet. She smiled.

'How thoughtful.' The woman picked them up from off the floor and slid them into a front pocket on the suitcase.

Vera finished getting dressed, sliding her top over her thin body. She turned around, pulling her hair out from under her shirt.

"AH!" she screamed.

Watching her through the window was none other than Bryan Fury. The man reached through the window and tugged her outside. He leapt from the fifth floor, Vera tried to scream, but he covered her mouth.

"Vera?" Yoshimitsu rushed to the door, knocking.

'Should I enter? What if I get yelled at again?' the man thought a minute. There was no response. 'She best be dressed!'

"Vera!" The man opened the door and rushed into her room. There was no one there, only her suitcase on the bed.

"Yoshimitsu!" It was a faint cry, but he had heard it on the streets down below.

The man looked out the window. He caught a glimpse of something moving around a corner a couple blocks away. Yoshimitsu grabbed the suitcase and leapt out the window. He landed swiftly and took off. He rushed out to the front and around the parking lot. He read the license plates and pulled up a file, he found Vera's car. He set the suitcase on the hood and rushed down the block.

"Vera!" The man slowed to a halt outside a warehouse. He activated his camouflage and waited next to the door, listening.

"Bryan! Why are you doing this!?" Vera screamed.

Bryan's hand reached around her throat. Vera squeaked. The man raised her into the air. "Why not!?" the man laughed violently in her ear. "I did the same to Doctor Boskonovitch. As long as I get to live, I can do whatever I want! I'm the almighty, powerful!"

Vera gasped for air, kicking her high-topped feet against the wall.

"Now, don't fight it, you'll only make it harder for yourself," the man whispered to her. "Such a pretty body you've got." He ran a finger over her collarbone. Vera shivered, knowing that he had watched her getting dressed before he kidnapped her.

Vera's fingers dug into his hand, trying to get him to release her. Her eyes began to fall back in her head, she was losing oxygen. He slammed her against the wall.

"How 'bout a little fun before I kill you?" the man laughed. Vera made a choking noise.

"Put…her…down…" A low voice rumbled from behind Bryan. Yoshimitsu's bright green blade was held up against his neck.

Bryan didn't hesitate. He sneered as he threw the woman against the wall, letting her drop to the floor. Vera grabbed her throat, coughing and gasping for air. At the same time, Bryan's arm twisted backwards, grabbing Yoshimitsu and tossing him away.

"Nice of you to join, my old friend!" Bryan laughed manically. "But, this is a personal matter. I suggest you leave."

"Not without Vera." Yoshimitsu rose to his feet.

"You growing soft for this woman!?" Bryan cackled.

Yoshimitsu drove forward, blade slicing. Bryan stepped to the side and grabbed the man's arm. He swung, pulling Yoshimitsu off the ground and slamming him against the opposite wall of the building. Yoshimitsu dropped hard. He climbed to his feet, staggering a bit. He prepared to attack but found Bryan was already on top of him. Yoshimitsu rolled to the side, barely avoiding the crash of Bryan's knuckles.

"I'll kill you yet, you nasty bug!" Bryan growled furiously.

Yoshimitsu disappeared from sight. Bryan narrowed his gaze, trying to find the man.

"Where are you?" he sang. Thunder growled, adding a second tone.

The ninja dropped from the air, sword barely scathing the man. Bryan twirled to the side, gripping Yoshimitsu's shoulder. The ninja grunted in pain as Bryan's fingers cracked the armor and dug into his skin. Bryan smashed his fist against the mask, cracking it. He sneered and shoved Yoshimitsu to the side.

"What is that made of!?" Bryan held onto his fist.

Yoshimitsu grinned and rolled forward, his sword swinging at Bryan's legs. Bryan jumped over the sword, but failed to miss Yoshimitsu's swinging legs. The ninja spun upward, donkey kicking the man in the stomach. It was a clean hit; Bryan fell to the floor, hard. His heavy body cracked the cement surface.

Yoshimitsu jumped into the air, his sword pointed at the man's chest. Bryan's eyes widened in fear. He held up his arm protectively and it began to transform.

'What the hell?' Yoshimitsu pulled his sword in to guard himself.

Bryan's arm broke apart into different sections. They resituated and morphed into a new appendage, a giant weapon. The mechanical parts whirred as his arm open fired, shooting multiple rounds of ammo into Yoshimitsu. The ninja limply fell to the ground, his sword clanging away. Bryan slowly stood, laughing at the ninja crawling on the floor, trying to reach his blade. Yoshimitsu tried to get to his hands and knees but fell.

"Armor piercing." Bryan chuckled. He sent his boot into Yoshimitsu's stomach. "I hope they didn't hurt you too bad!" The man gave Yoshimitsu a smug look as he reached down for him. He froze. Yoshimitsu had disappeared.

"Yoshimitsu!" the man growled angrily. He looked about the room and ran to where Vera sat. She scooted away from him but he grabbed her hair, lifting her to her feet. Vera cried out. "Show yourself or the woman dies!" He held the weapon against her head. Vera froze, grabbing the arm wrapped around her. "I won't hesitate!"

"Then don't hesitate," Yoshimitsu whispered from above the man. The ninja flew down, his sword slicing into the weaponry arm. It was sliced off like butter. Bryan screamed, shoving Vera to the ground. He grabbed his shoulder where the arm was missing and sprinted out of the building, breaking down the door.

Yoshimitsu stood above Vera a moment. She stared at the twitching arm on the ground. She had no idea Bryan was equipped with something like that. Yoshimitsu suddenly staggered. Her eyes fell to his feet where blood and other liquids poured to the ground in thick plops.

"Yosh…Yoshimitsu," Vera gasped.

The ninja looked down at the woman and then dropped to the floor in a heap.

"Yoshimitsu!" She crouched over him. "Oh my God! Are you alright!?" She knew he wasn't. His body was wracked with bullets; his internal organs were broken and leaking.

"One of your organs has been punctured. You need immediate help!" The woman reached for his helmet to remove it.

"No…," the man whispered.

"But…you need medical attention! And your suit! It…it may cause electrical shock!" The woman held onto his face, directing his attention to her. "Stay with me!"

"The suit…will help, trust me…" The man took a ragged breath. His hand rose to sit on the woman's cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked her gently.

"…Yoshimitsu…" The woman gave him a sad look. "Worry about yourself right now. Stay here…I need to get my car! I'm getting you to the doctor as soon as possible!" She scampered to her feet and sprinted as fast as she had run in years toward the parking lot.

"AH! My keys!" She darted inside the building. She repeatedly pushed the buttons for the elevator. "Come on! Come ON!" she screamed impatiently.

The doors slid open at such a slow speed. Vera squeezed in and pushed the button to her floor and closed the door of the elevator.

"Oh God! Please…let him be alright! Hurry!" The woman hopped up and down on her toes. The door slid open and Vera leapt through, nearly knocking a man down.

"Hey!" the man shouted grumpily.

"I'm sorry! Emergency! Hold the elevator for me, please!" the woman yelled as she ran into her apartment. She froze momentarily.

'Shit! Where are my keys?!' She looked over her cluttered apartment.

She ran to her kitchen table and scattered the papers about. She heard a loud jingle of something falling onto the carpet.

'There!' She crawled under the table and reached for her keys. She scooted out, rising to her feet. Her head smacked the edge of the table.

"Ow! #&#!" the woman cursed and trotted back out into the hall.

The elevator bell chimed, the man had not waited for her.

"Damn it!" the woman screeched. She pushed the button over and over again. How she wished she could leap from fifth floor windows.

'Ding.' The elevator greeted her cheerfully. She cursed at its cheerfulness and hopped inside.

'Yoshimitsu, please don't die. Oh God! What if Bryan came back!? What if Yoshimitsu's dead!? What if he's gone? What if…' Vera panted as she rushed to her car.

"What is that!?" She paused as she hopped into her car. It was her suitcase. She grunted and tugged it into her car with her, the sleet and rain covering both her and the case.

'How'd he know this was my car?' Vera thought as she started her vehicle and sped off toward the warehouse.

"Oh no!" Vera screeched to a halt and slammed the car into park.

Yoshimitsu was sitting against the warehouse outside wall. He was slouched over, not moving. His clothing was already soaked through.

"What are you doing!?" Vera ran up to the building. "You moved! Your injuries!"

Yoshimitsu did not respond. He did not move.

"Yoshimitsu…?" The woman kneeled beside him and shook him gently. "Are…are you alive?" she asked with worry. "Please tell me you are alive!" she screamed.

"V…Vera," the man mumbled.

"Come on! Get in my car! We're going, now!" The woman raised Yoshimitsu into the air. He groaned in pain but she didn't care. He needed to get to safety.

The woman leaned him against the car as she pulled open the back door. "In, now!" Vera ordered. She pushed him into her car.

Vera popped open her trunk and grabbed a few blankets that were used in case of emergency. She thanked God they were still in there. She opened the back door once again and threw the blankets on the man, covering him protectively.

"Stay awake," she ordered him slowly. "You hear me!?"

"Hm…," he moaned.

"Please…," she whispered. The woman slammed the door shut and hurried around to the driver's side.

"Off we go!" Vera took a deep breath and rushed full speed ahead out of the city and into the forest. All the while, Vera fought with her thoughts.

'He's not going to make it! No one would live through that! He's going to die! He probably is dead! Vera, he's dead and he spent his last dying breath in the back of your car without anyone there with him. He's all alone back there, no one talking to him, helping him feel at ease.' The woman looked at the dying man through her rearview mirror. Yoshimitsu wasn't moving. The glow in his eyes was fading suddenly.

"Yoshimitsu!!" she screamed.

The man did not respond.

"Damn it! Stay with me! Don't you dare die! What am I going to do if you die!?" the woman screamed, tears falling from her eyes.

Trees rushed by her at an alarming pace. She had topped out the speedometer long ago. The scientist was beginning to get scared. She was going way too fast in this forest. She could hit anything, a tree, an animal. And if she did that, they'd both be dead. A large tree came into view, right in her path. There was no road anymore; she was out in the middle of the dense forest.

"Hold on!" the woman panted, scared almost to death by her own actions.

She slammed on her breaks and turned the wheel, her car screeching to the side and sliding on the wet and icy leaves on the ground.

"SHIIIT!!" she screamed as she collided with the massive tree.

The car crunched loudly but it did not stop. It kept going, knocking through the massive tree before her and everything else in her path. Her car screeched to a halt. Vera was shaking, frightened. She looked up to see the landscape about her ruined and blurring. Numerous ninja were running toward her vehicle, some with weapons drawn. She had run into the gates of the encampment. The tree she hit was nothing more than the digital camouflage that guarded the village from sight.

"Yoshimitsu!?" The woman looked in her backseat. The man had slid over the side and was halfway off the seat behind her.

"Halt!" the ninjas hollered, pointing weapons at her.

"Help him!" Vera unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out of the car. The ninja were ready to attack until they saw it was Vera.

"Don't attack!" one female ninja hollered, no doubt the woman from earlier in the baths, Masumi.

"Yoshimitsu…he was attacked! He's hurt badly! We need to get him to the doctor!" The woman opened the back door of her car and let the ninja pull him out and rush him to safety.

"What happened!?" Masumi questioned.

Vera was breathing heavily. "Bryan Fury attacked us. He had some kind of hidden weaponry within his body. Shot Yoshimitsu numerous times. They were armor piercing," Vera explained.

"Dear God…is he alright?" Masumi asked.

"I…I don't know!" Vera covered her face, sobbing. She was drenched by icy rain, her hair clinging to her neck.

"He'll be fine. He's the strongest I've ever known!" one male ninja added his support.

"Come…Let's take you to your room. You need to get out of this rain." Masumi placed a hand on Vera's shoulder. She felt frozen.

"My things," Vera took a deep breath, relaxing. She pointed to the case in the passenger seat. One ninja opened the door and grabbed the case. "I want to see Yoshimitsu. I need to be there to help the doctor."

Masumi nodded and gave instruction to the other ninja to return Vera's things to her room. She led Vera through the chaos of the panicking ninja.

"I'm sorry…about the cover. I was in such a hurry to get him back…I had no idea where it was," Vera apologized.

"The camo is nothing compared to our leader." Masumi opened the door to the lab. "You take good care of him, alright?"

"I'll try my best," Vera replied.

Masumi gave a nod to her and then rushed back out into the field.

'Perhaps I should've given her some pointers before she left this morning…,' Masumi sighed unhappily.

"We need to get rid of this vehicle!" she ordered.

"Yes ma'am!" The ninja rushed to the car and began pushing it out of the encampment, it being far too damaged to run any further.

"What a number you've done on this place, Vera," the female ninja laughed. "You've done more damage single handedly to our village than I've seen in years."

Other ninja were already hard at work repairing the fence and restoring their cover. There was a crackle as one of the men was shocked.

"Careful! Last thing I need is my men getting electrocuted to death!" Masumi rolled her eyes.

* * *

"How is he?" Vera rushed to Yoshimitsu's side. He lay on the medical table, his chest already bare.

"His suit is what kept him alive this long. Vera, what happened?" Doctor Boskonovitch shook his head sadly as he inspected the wounds.

"Bryan…He was waiting for us." Vera pulled up a chair. She sat next to Yoshimitsu. "Armor piercing. His arm…it changed into this giant gun!"

"This is not looking good, my dear," Dr. B frowned.

"He's…he's not going to die, is he?" Vera sniffled. She rested her forehead in her hand.

"Not unless we do something now." The doctor looked at her. "We must conduct surgery immediately."

"But…you don't have the machinery or parts." Vera watched Yoshimitsu's twitching hand.

"Surgery, the old fashioned way," Doctor Boskonovitch explained. "I'm going to need your help on this one, Vera."

"Tell me what to do." The woman stood from her chair.

* * *

"Sir!" A Tekken Force military soldier saluted his general.

"What is it?" The general spun around in his rolling chair to face the soldier. He had been looking over files on his computer.

"The tracking device we've planted on Dr. Mihailov's car has put out a signal."

"She has come back?" The general spun around once again. He pulled up the data on his screen. "The forest?"

"It seems she had gotten there in quite a hurry. The time of transportation from her apartment to that location is only twenty-five minutes," the soldier went over the details. "Seems it came to an abrupt halt too. May have crashed into something."

"What could be out there?" The general glared at the screen. A smile crossed his face.

"The target is now moving! Very slowly…" The soldier watched the screen.

"Perhaps, we have found the missing Manji clan," the general chuckled.

"Manji clan, sir?"

"The one man who would have anything to do with the disappearance of a doctor who's worked on the Bryan Fury project, Yoshimitsu." The general stood. "Orders!"

"Sir!" He saluted.

"We're sending out a group of men first thing in the morning. Dispatch them to find out as much as possible about the enemy. We will infiltrate as soon as everything has been analyzed. Gather the troops. We'll be meeting in the briefing room at 2100."

"Sir!" The soldier gave a final salute and strode out of the room.

The general glowered at the screen. An old picture of Yoshimitsu and his known data had been pulled up. "We'll get that bastard for stealing one of our elite scientists."

* * *

Okay. Going to have to end it here for the night! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thank you for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	6. Chapter 6

Hmm…only one review. I know there are more of you reading out there! Let me know what you like, don't like, or maybe what you would like to see happen. Any review helps! Thanks for reading!-Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 6**

The procedure took hours to accomplish. Vera and Dr. Boskonovitch both had to work together to keep Yoshimitsu alive. His punctured liver was removed from his body, Dr. B worked extensively on the bio-mechanical organ. Vera watched the patient's stats, making sure nothing dropped too dangerously low and fixed the small nicks and cuts on his insides. She was also in charge of working on the machine Dr. B had begun. It had very few functions, but the machine was completed enough to begin building a new spleen. The work was painstakingly slow. The machine wouldn't be completed for another couple of weeks. Yoshimitsu's organs could only be recycled. Though they'd be like new for a short while they would quickly disintegrate; the technology not strong enough. If he made it out of this procedure alive, it still wouldn't save his life for long. He would still need to undergo the extensive upgrade very soon. Vera and Doctor Boskonovitch had a lot of work ahead of them.

"There…all done…" Dr. Boskonovitch sighed aloud as he stitched up the final incision on Yoshimitsu's body.

Vera watched warily. The operation was like a nightmare. Yoshimitsu's insides were completely battered and torn; it was amazing he had made it back alive at all. His blood, how little of it there was in his middle, was mixed with the dark liquids of the broken organs. Her eyes darted to his involuntary twitching hand.

"Now…time to take a look at this." The doctor grabbed Yoshimitsu's left arm. He tapped it in places, watching for when the fingers twitched. Dr. B held in between his fingers a small metal object with a pointed tip.

"What are you doing?" Vera asked. She groaned as Dr. B stabbed the item into Yoshimitsu's arm on the supinated side of the forearm just below the elbow.

"Finding the glitch. A bullet grazed his arm. It happened to hit just right where it caused some damage to the ulnar nerve , thus the involuntary reactions." He pointed at Yoshimitsu's hand. It was trembling, his fingers clacking against the metallic table.

"What a mess." Vera sighed, rubbing her face. "This poor man…he doesn't deserve this."

"No, no he does not." The doctor agreed. He fumbled with the tool in his hand. Vera didn't bother asking how that object worked in repairing Yoshimitsu's damaged nerves, she was too tired. All she cared about was that the man was fixed and back on his feet as soon as possible.

"Why do the nicest people have the worst luck?" she watched Yoshimitsu sadly.

"Because he tries so hard to protect everyone. It's only a matter of time someone like him is bound to get hurt. Physically and emotionally." The doctor pulled out the tool. He prodded around the shoulder area.

"Emotionally?" Vera rested her chin in her hand.

"Ah…nice people always leave themselves open to a world of hurt. Their kindness always satisfies everyone, but you can only do so many nice things without anyone returning the favor before it takes its toll on you." He muttered. "Yoshi and I have a more symbiotic relationship. He's done so much for me, saved my life and has given me a home. In return, I dedicate my research to help him live."

"I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt him." Vera frowned. "Bryan…how awful of him. Yoshimitsu gave up his own life in order to save his and he repays you both with tragedy."

"That's how life is. When you are as nice as Yoshimitsu, you end up getting hurt over and over again, never thinking or caring about the possibilities of evil overrunning everything and destroying you. Yoshimitsu will have to continue to wait. This whole fiasco may very well be the end of Yoshimitsu's life." the doctor pulled away from the ninja. "All done…for now."

"We can't let him die." Vera bit her lower lip. "It just isn't fair."

"You know…maybe death would be fair to Yoshimitsu." The doctor typed on the keyboard of the computer.

"What!?" Vera raised her head.

"No more pain, no more suffering, no more unkindness." Dr. Boskonovitch gave a small smile. "But I know Yoshi wouldn't settle for that. There is still so much he would need to do before he passes on. And believe me, he isn't going anywhere for a long time if he has his way about it."

"Maybe if I was more helpful. I let this whole Bryan thing get out of control. It's my fault Yoshimitsu is hurt." The female scientist pushed the blame on herself.

"You are very much like him." The doctor grinned.

"How so?" Vera tilted her head.

"You're blaming yourself for things you've had no control over. Yoshimitsu would have run into Bryan regardless of whether he met you or not." Dr. B slipped off his glasses. He wiped them down with his white lab coat.

"I still can't help it. I could have done more than just stood there and watched."

"My dear, if it were you rather than him that had received those bullets I fear your fate would have been much worse." The doctor narrowed his eyes, looking at his spectacles through the bright light of the lab. He slid them onto his face.

"I know…" Vera gave another long, tired sigh.

"And that blasted sword doesn't make matters any better." Dr. Boskonovitch glared at the weapon that had been placed on the opposite side of the room.

"What do you mean?" the woman watched the pale, glowing blade.

"That sword has some amazing abilities. I don't know too much about it, but what I do know is it sucks up the abilities of those slain by it."

"Abilities?" Vera questioned.

"Souls if you will. They haunt him, torment him. The wielder of the sword begins to go mad if it's been too long since the sword has fed on strong power. Those soldiers he has killed will impede the hunger for only so long. The weapon is a monster, I tell you." The doctor shook his head. "I've asked him to put away with it, but he refuses. It's the clan's sword, handed down to him by the last leader of the clan. He refuses to waste the power it holds. In turn, as it grows hungry it feeds off the mind. Yoshimitsu's dreams take the form of those many he have killed. Some days are far worse than others. He can be normal and happy for days but then he can go into endless slumps of depression, sometimes he'll lock himself up in his room for days, even weeks once. It all depends on how long it's been since he's had to kill someone. And then, that too, has its toll. Yoshimitsu prefers not to kill, he hates it. But when it comes down to his survival, he will not hesitate to draw the sword. "

"That's terrible." Her eyes fell upon Yoshimitsu's mask. The doctor had refused to remove it while Vera was around. She felt more than a little flustered by that. "What a mysterious man."

"It's for his protection." The doctor shrugged.

"Protection? Even from his own clan? Why would anyone want to hurt this man?" the woman only stared at the mask. "He's so kind."

"It isn't protection from harm that he wears that mask." The doctor tapped a ballpoint pen against his chin, reading the stats on the screen. Vera gave him a confused look. Dr. Boskonovitch gave her a reassuring smile. "It's to protect others from growing close to him."

"To keep people away?" Vera stared at Yoshimitsu's hand. It twitched once and then settled; a normal reaction. He must have been dreaming. Vera grabbed the man's hand.

"Precisely." The doctor rubbed the back of his neck. He saw Vera staring at Yoshimitsu, holding his hand. "You know, it is good that you are here. I haven't seen Yoshimitsu so happy in quite a long time. It's good for him to be picked on."

"I like picking on shy people." Vera mumbled quietly. "They make me laugh."

The two sat in silence watching their friend.

* * *

A loud knock on Vera's room door woke her from her deep slumber. Vera moaned loudly, crawling out of bed and shuffling to the door. She slid it open slowly, the bright morning light blinding her.

"About time you woke up!" it was Masumi. "Woah…you look like shit." The woman chuckled.

"Thanks…" Vera yawned, rubbing an eye. It had been two days since Yoshimitsu was brought back into the encampment, today would be the third. So far, he had not awoken. Vera hadn't slept until this last night.

"Get enough sleep?" the woman leaned forward. "You know, it's not healthy to stay up like that. Yoshimitsu wouldn't be very pleased to know that you didn't take care of yourself while he was out of commission."

"Mm hm." The woman moaned sleepily.

"Come on; let's get you out and about. You need some sunlight. It isn't good to stay cooped up next to that old man's side all night." The woman grabbed Vera's hand.

"What…where are you taking me?" Vera groaned. It was a particular warm morning, the birds were singing and tiny squirrels climbed about on the trees.

"Practice, did you forget?" Masumi cheered.

"Oh…practice." Vera grumbled.

Masumi led Vera back behind the living quarters and onto the training grounds. There were a few ninja out back practicing; some were watching the other ninja while the rest stared at Masumi and Vera. A few young women began giggling.

"Why do they always stare?" Vera whispered.

"Hm? I didn't notice. You get used to it I guess. They don't like…different things." The woman stuck her tongue out as she passed a few chattering ninja.

"Like me?" Vera asked.

"…Yeah." Masumi nodded slowly.

The two turned a corner and arrived at a private section of the training ground. There were a few tree stumps about six feet tall. Thousands of tiny holes punctured the surfaces.

"Today, I'll teach you how to use throwing stars." She reached into her pocket and twirled the small shuriken in her fingers.

"Ok." Vera yawned.

"No more yawning! Let's get that blood flowing. You need to get some exercise." Masumi tossed the tiny weapon sideways, her gaze never leaving Vera's. The tiny star stuck in the direct center of the standing target. "Easy. Anyone can do it."

"Sure." Vera rolled her eyes. She grabbed one of the stars. The young woman scrutinized it slowly and then pulled her arm back and threw it like a baseball at the wood. It clattered against the wood and dropped to the leafy ground. Masumi was sent into a fit of laughter.

"Now that…was impressive!" the woman said between laughs.

"Eh, whatever." The scientist grumped.

"Aw, just watch me, okay?" the woman grabbed another star from her pocket. She stood still, explaining her form. "Put more of the weight on this leg. You're going to want to flick the wrist more. Hold it like this, your fingers here. And you swoop more than lob at the target. Here…like this." She flicked her hand quickly. Vera didn't even see the item leave her fingertips. The loud 'chunk' of it hitting the wood occurred as quickly as the woman threw.

"I don't think I can do that." Vera let out a low laugh.

"Easy!" Masumi handed another shuriken to the woman. "Let me show you."

This time she rested her hands on Vera's hips. She twisted them so she was standing correctly. Masumi tapped the back of Vera's leg to help her stand more loosely rather than stiff. Then she reached around and moved Vera's fingers to hold the item correctly.

"Got it?" she asked. Vera nodded. "Give it another try."

Vera threw the weapon, which she felt like she was playing Frisbee more than anything. It flew slowly through the air, the tiniest tip lodging into the wood. It stuck for a second and then dropped to the ground. Vera deflated.

"Well, that was pretty good! Your form was much better than before. And did you see that? It stuck for a bit." Masumi pointed. She pulled another throwing star from her uniform and handed it to the woman.

"Where…are you keeping these?" Vera raised an eyebrow.

Masumi gave her a wide grin. For the woman being so beautiful, she certainly didn't act like the way she looked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Ugh…never mind." Vera gave a small laugh.

The two practiced for the rest of the day, time going by much faster than Vera had anticipated. By the end of the day Vera was growing tired and Masumi looked very bored. Vera could at least make the weapons stay in the wood without falling off.

"Very good! Faster to catch on than I thought." Masumi chewed on a blade of grass, sprawled on the ground. An orange glow was cast upon her face by the setting sun.

"Thank you for teaching me." Vera picked up the shuriken from the ground.

"Well we're not finished. Tomorrow I'm teaching you how to throw knives!" Masumi hopped to her feet.

"Kn, knives?" Vera stumbled.

"Yeah!" Masumi nodded quickly, tugging a dagger from the tiny sheath behind her back. She whipped her arm back and threw the small blade about as fast as the shuriken right past Vera's head. "I have a feeling you'll be good at it, baseball pitcher." Masumi smiled.

"As long as you don't throw them at my head again…" Vera stared at the blade in the tree stump. Masumi only laughed and tugged the weapon from the tree.

"Bright and early?" Masumi asked.

"Bright and early." Vera groaned.

The women said their goodnights and Vera headed for her room. She couldn't wait to get back to bed.

'Perhaps I should stop by and check up on him?' Vera thought to herself as she stumbled around the corner and came face to face with the lab building.

The female scientist stared at the lab door as she stood before it. Her fingertips brushed the doorknob. The metal seemed cold to touch. It sent shivers down her spine. She opened it slowly; the creaking was loud upon her ears.

"Wh, what's happening!?" the woman shoved into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Her mouth gaped open at the sight before her.

Dr. Boskonovitch was leaning over Yoshimitsu with a defibrillator, sending electrical shocks to the man's chest. Vera darted across the room, staring at the computer screen. Yoshimitsu was flat line, the electrical beep screeching in her ears. Vera grabbed the screen, watching the line. Another zap sounded as Dr. Boskonovitch sent another charge into the man. Vera winced as Yoshimitsu's body jolted with the charge.

'Beep…Beep…' the line bumped in tiny waves.

'Thank god!' Vera sighed, sinking into the chair beside the table. She ran her hands over her face. The room was silent, only the tiny mechanical beeps interrupted the silence.

"Vera…" the doctor spoke.

"Is…he alright?" the woman mumbled slowly.

"It is only a matter of time, Vera. He needs the new organs." The doctor leaned against the table, staring at the mask on Yoshimitsu's face. "His heart…practically the only real living organ left in his upper body, stopped. I didn't think he was going to make it."

"He's…he's going to die?" Vera turned in her chair, a look of horror on her face.

"I can't tell, Vera. It's all up to Yoshimitsu now. Only time will tell. He hasn't awoken even once. Every day his body deteriorates more and more. We just have to wait and see." Boskonovitch shook his head sadly. "I need to feed him some oxygen…" that meant he had to remove Yoshimitsu's mask and that Vera needed to leave.

"The machine! We have to finish it!" Vera stood from her chair, ignoring the doctor. She strode toward the machine in the corner of the room.

"Vera. There is nothing more we can do to it. There's no way we can finish it, not without the documents. Not without the right equipment. We'll only make things worse for him if we rush the machine." The doctor walked toward the young woman.

"I can't just sit here and watch him die! I can't be the cause of this clan losing their leader!" Vera shoved past the man.

"Vera…" the doctor called out to her, but she had already left the building.

Vera ran. She ran as fast as she could, to hide herself from the staring eyes. The woman darted past a small boy, Oda. She slammed the door of her small room open and darted in, closing it behind her in a hurry.

"That was the scientist lady." Oda blinked slowly. He kneeled on the floor beside the woman's door.

"AGH!" Vera dropped to her floor bed. She buried her face into her pillow and screamed.

"Yoshimitsu! You can't die! There are so many people here that need you!" the woman growled in frustration into the soft cushion. "It's all my fault! I am so careless!" the woman sobbed.

'If I hadn't shoved him out of my bedroom. If I hadn't just _HAD_ to get a change of clothes right then and there! Locked him out of my room! Bryan wouldn't have gotten the chance to take me! Take me and lead Yoshimitsu into that death trap!' hot tears soaked through the soft padding of her pillow. 'He'd be fine, perfectly fine right now, talking with his clan members, eating his tiny bowl of rice!'

Vera choked on her sobs, feeling guilt stricken. She wanted to disappear. There was no way she could stay here if Yoshimitsu died. Everyone would blame her. Everyone would hate her for getting their leader killed.

Vera cried herself to sleep that night.

* * *

"Give me the sword!" the woman held out one hand, her other gripping at the hilt of her blade. Her being was corrupted by vengence.

"I'm not handing it over to you." Yoshimitsu shook his head 'no'.

"Just give it to me! If you just hand it over, I won't have to hurt you!" the woman pulled her katana from its sheath.

"You couldn't hurt me if you tried." Yoshimitsu spat out the words harshly. It was a lie. In fact, this woman had hurt him plenty before in the past.

She narrowed her eyes, glaring behind the mask on her face. "I'll show you what real pain is then…" she hissed.

* * *

'Kuni…'

Yoshimitsu twitched. His body felt like it was on fire. It hurt to breath. It hurt to even move his fingers.

'What happened…?' the man slowly opened his eyes. Bright light flooded his senses. He immediately closed them again.

'Why…am I in here?' Yoshimitsu took a ragged breath.

His ears ached at the strange sounds of mechanical chirping and the strange hissing that sounded in even intervals. The ninja opened his eyes again. The light quickly faded gently. He could see something attached to his face. A bag attached to his face inflated and deflated, the source of the hissing sounds.

"You're awake!" Dr. Boskonovitch's voice interrupted the man's thoughts.

"…" Yoshimitsu turned his head to the side. The doctor was sitting in a chair watching him. The elderly man looked very tired, large bags under his eyes.

"You gave us quite a scare, Yoshimitsu!" Boskonovitch sighed. Yoshimitsu gave him a curious look. "You're heart had stopped momentarily last night. We thought you were done for."

Yoshimitsu groaned, trying to sit up. His insides ached terribly.

"Now! Don't overwork yourself! You just woke up!" the doctor stood, panicking as Yoshimitsu began removing the oxygen mask and the needles in his arms. He hated feeling like a lab rat. "My boy, you are the most stubborn things I've ever seen!"

Yoshimitsu let his head clear; the sudden movement had made him dizzy. "How long was I out?" he asked after a minute of silence. His ears twitched at the sound of his own voice. His hand gripped his face.

"I had to remove it, Yoshimitsu. To give you better oxygen." The doctor met Yoshimitsu's glare. "This is your fourth day."

"Four days…?" the man whispered to himself.

"Poor Vera. She had been in here for two days and nights straight looking over you. I finally sent her to bed the other night. She was going to make herself ill if she didn't leave your side." The doctor smiled. "She will be very pleased to know you are alright."

"Vera…" Yoshimitsu mumbled. "M, my face!" the man twisted toward the doctor. He grimaced in pain.

"No worries." Boskonovitch chuckled. "I sent her away whenever I needed to remove your mask. Your secret is safe."

"…" Yoshimitsu lowered his head. He even felt uncomfortable with the doctor seeing his face, even though he had seen it countless times. Yoshimitsu slid over the side of the table. He leaned against it for support.

"And where do you think you are going?" Dr. B questioned.

"Out. I need some fresh air." Yoshimitsu grumbled.

"You've just been given the freshest air you'll ever breath." The doctor folded his arms.

"You know I don't like being cooped up in this lab." Yoshimitsu shuffled across the floor.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Yoshi?" Boskonovitch laughed. Yoshimitsu froze, his hand covering his face again. "Such a scatterbrain." He handed a mask over to the man. Yoshimitsu took it gently. He stared at the face and then looked back up at the doctor.

"You're other mask has a crack in the surface. I will fix it now that you are feeling well. You'll have to wear something else until then." Dr. Boskonovitch explained.

Yoshimitsu ran his fingers over the top of the porcelain mask. It was an old mask. One he hadn't worn in years. It was pale white, like most masks he wore. It had a more demonic look to it rather than skeletal or alien. Long fangs stuck out of the corners of the mouth. The mouth had been sealed long ago to show nothing but grinning teeth, but the voice modulator had been removed.

He then handed a blue robe for the man to wear. "And your uniform is being cleaned." Yoshimitsu slipped it on quickly. He looked at the blue cotton pants he was wearing and then went back to scrutinizing the mask in his hands.

"My voice…" Yoshimitsu complained as he put the mask on. It only strapped in the back, still revealing his hair. This was not to his liking at all, the doctor could tell. Yoshimitsu reminded himself to change into something more concealing once he reached his room.

"No complaints…" the doctor sighed. "You're voice will still be muffled by the mask, what else do you want?"

"My other mask." Yoshimitsu grumped as he opened the door to the lab.

"Don't be on your feet for too long, Yoshimitsu. Exercise would be good, but I don't want you hurting yourself." The doctor shook a finger at him.

Yoshimitsu waved a dismissive hand at the doctor as he shut the door behind him.

"What a thanks…" the doctor cleaned off his lenses.

The door of the lab opened quickly. Yoshimitsu popped his head inside quickly.

"Thank you." He nodded once and then disappeared again.

"That's more like it." The doctor grinned.

Yoshimitsu walked slowly across the wooden platform of the housing quarters. A soft breeze blew leaves across his past. Yoshimitsu breathed in deeply. It smelled like autumn.

"Yoshimitsu! You are awake!" a small voice cheered.

"Oda." Yoshimitsu watched as the small boy trotted to his side.

"We all have been worried about you! We thought you were done for! Well, except Daisuke. He says you're an old fart. I heard some people talking about a new leader. You're not leaving are you? I mean, we all thought you were sick. Maybe they all just thought you weren't going to make it. They thought you were dead." Yoshimitsu frowned upon hearing this news, but Oda grinned happily. "But you aren't! You are fine! And you are moving again!"

"Indeed I am." Yoshimitsu nodded.

"But your voice…it sounds different." Oda frowned.

"Oh…yes… I have a cold." Yoshimitsu rubbed the back of his head.

"And I can see your hair! You have hair like mine!" Oda tugged on his messy dark hair. "If mom saw you she would give you a lecture! Tell you to comb it!"

"I'll make note of that." The man sighed.

"Are you going to see that scientist lady!?" Oda grabbed Yoshimitsu's hand, swinging it back and forth cheerfully.

"…Vera?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"Is that her name? Funny name! Never heard of it before. But I guess it suits her." The boy thought a moment. "She was very sad!"

"Sad?" he looked down at the boy.

"She was crying last night. She sounded very upset." Oda walked awkwardly, stepping over each individual line on the floorboards. "I think she likes you."

Yoshimitsu stumbled. He coughed lightly.

"Ah! You stepped on a crack didn't you!? It tripped you!? Bad luck for you today!" Oda grinned.

"What…what makes you say she likes me?" Yoshimitsu tilted his head.

"Well she said your name last night. I heard it myself! And she seemed much sadder than anyone else about you not feeling well. But I knew you'd be alright, cause you are always alright!" Oda beamed. "You're the strongest here! Maybe someday I can be like you!"

"Perhaps." Yoshimitsu smiled.

"Oda!" a female voice screamed across the grounds.

"Uh oh…mom." The boy hid behind Yoshimitsu.

"To be strong, you must learn to finish all your chores." Yoshimitsu grabbed Oda's arm and pulled him out in front of him. Oda gave him a large grin, revealing a missing tooth.

"Oda! I've been looking all over for you!" the boy's mother stomped up to the two. "Oh! Yoshimitsu. How are you feeling today?" the mother smiled. Yoshimitsu smiled back, though she couldn't see it. He could tell where Oda got his grins from.

"Fine. And how are you today?" Yoshimitsu bowed his head.

"Oh, you know same old, same old. Chasing after my son as usual." She muttered through gritted teeth, glaring at the boy. Oda gave a sheepish laugh. "Come on! You're work awaits!" His mother grabbed his hand.

"Bye!" Oda waved at Yoshimitsu.

"Have a very lovely day, Yoshimitsu!" his mother called over her shoulder.

"Good bye." The man waved.

'That boy is a handful.' Yoshimitsu sighed. 'Causes his mother so much trouble…like I did to mine when I was his age.'

He took a few steps before returning to a stop. He was next to Vera's door.

'Perhaps I shall see how she is doing.' Yoshimitsu thought a moment. 'But I much would like to change.' After much debate he knocked softly on the door. There was no response. Yoshimitsu waited a second and then he slid the door open a crack.

"Hello?" he slid his head through the tiny slit.

Vera lay in her bed in the middle of the room, snoozing away. She looked very similar to the day she had slept in late for her and Yoshimitsu's mission.

'I'll come back later.' Yoshimitsu began to close the door.

"Yosh…i…mitsu…" a soft moan sounded.

Yoshimitsu opened the door further. Vera turned a bit in the bed. She was still sleeping.

'Is…is she dreaming about me?' the man felt embarrassed.

Vera tossed. A troubled moan escaped her lips. She was having a nightmare. Yoshimitsu looked out the window; sunlight was covered by dark clouds.

'Daymare…' the man smirked.

"Vera…" Yoshimitsu tapped her on the shoulder.

The woman rolled over quickly, her eyes opened slowly. Vera saw bright, yellow, glowing eyes on the face of a demon staring at her. She gaped, opened her mouth and let out the most atrocious scream Yoshimitsu had ever heard. The ninja darted backward away from the woman, holding his hands out and looking from side to side. He covered his ears and waited until the scream stopped.

"…What!? AH!" Vera sat up in her bed, watching the man. She stared at him a second and looked the man up and down. "Yoshimitsu?" the woman asked quietly.

He looked about awkwardly, scratching his head.

"Yoshimitsu!?" Vera hopped to her feet. "Oh my god! Is that you!?" she darted toward him and wrapped her arms around his chest. "You're alright!? You're alright!?"

"Hm…" He nodded in response, groaning at the pain Vera caused him by the tight squeeze. She quickly released him.

"I was so worried about you!" She cupped the man's masked face. "You scared the crap out of me Yoshimitsu! What is this?" she tapped on the side of the mask. "Something new?"

"Old." He simply replied.

Vera stared at him, wide eyed. "You're…voice."

Yoshimitsu cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"You don't have the modulator in! Is your other mask being repaired?" the woman swayed from side to side, looking the man over. She smiled at his unruly hair, sticking in small spikes all over the place. It was a chocolate brown, a much lighter hair color compared to most of the people in the clan.

Yoshimitsu nodded.

"Oh, come on! You're not going to talk to me now!?" she placed her hands roughly on her hips.

He nodded in response.

"Well, that's not very nice." The woman glared. Yoshimitsu stirred under her stare. "You are feeling better, right?"

"I'm not dead." He replied quietly.

"I suppose that is better." The woman giggled.

"Perhaps." Yoshimitsu stared at the floor.

"…What do you mean, perhaps?" Vera slowly let her hands fall to her side.

He ignored her question. "Bryan's ability to transform, I wasn't made aware of this information." Yoshimitsu stated sternly.

"I wasn't aware of it either. I wasn't on that team. My job was only to repair his body, not install weaponry. The weapons department must've gotten a hold of him before he was released." Vera twirled her hair nervously. Why was he suddenly so hostile?

"You helped fix that monster." Yoshimitsu frowned, now staring off to the side.

"What's this all about?" Vera asked, beginning to feel a little frightened. She hadn't seen Yoshimitsu so cold.

"Was it easy to fix me too? My fake parts…?" the man refused to look at her. "Perhaps it wasn't a good idea."

"To help you!? Why wouldn't it be a good idea!? Yoshimitsu, what's wrong with you?" she folded her arms.

"There's talk going around…that I am no longer fit to be the leader of this clan." Vera was saddened to hear this. Not only did the words sound awful, but she could hear Yoshimitsu's actual tone. He sounded so gloomy. "Talk of overthrowing I presume. Perhaps it would have been better if I had not survived this incident."

"How can you say that!? Dr. Boskonovitch and I worked hard to keep you alive!" Yoshimitsu flinched at her loud words. "After all that work, you want to just give up on us!? I wouldn't have been able to live with myself knowing that you would have died because of me!"

"Because of you?" the ninja finally looked at her. Vera's eyes were red. It looked as if she was about to cry again.

"Because of my stupidity I was taken by Bryan. He was able to hurt you!" the woman shouted.

"With or without you, I would have found that man. I would have fought with him in the same way. I would have gone down the same way…and I would have died…" the man looked back at the floor. "You saved my life Vera, not endangered it. Thank you."

"Why thank me if you only wish you were dead?" Vera hissed.

"…The people think I am old. I am. I am an old and rusty machine. I am falling apart. I am no longer fit to be leader of this clan, Vera." Yoshimitsu whispered.

"You only need the procedure. Once we get that machine completed you'll be as good as new! You won't have to worry about anything." She bit her lower lip. "You won't feel any more pain."

"It's not just my machinery that hurts…" Yoshimitsu covered his mask with a hand, turning away.

"Where are you going!?" Vera placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The people…fear me. My people are trying to overthrow me. They want to be rid of me. Perhaps it is time I retire." Yoshimitsu hung his head.

"Well…" Vera shrugged. "What's the big deal? I mean… you can quit. It's bad for your health. Maybe a break from being in charge of the clan would be nice. If you're happier alive and well helping people, you don't have to be leader of a clan. Anyone can help others."

Yoshimitsu was silent a moment. He gave a short laugh. "My health would be a lot worse off if I wasn't leader."

"What do you mean? The doctor would help you no matter what, no matter where you are." Vera gave him a confused look. "I would be there for you too."

"It's not that easy, Vera." Yoshimitsu faced the woman. He let out an agitated sigh.

"I don't understand." The woman shook her head.

"In order to retire, I would have to give my life." Yoshimitsu explained.

"What?" She gave him an incredulous look.

"It is tradition…for the past clan leader to forfeit his life and abilities onto the sword. That way the next leader can gain all the strength of the past." He patted Vera on the shoulder. "I would be sacrificed by my own sword. Then that sword would be handed down to the next leader."

Vera remembered the story Dr. Boskonovitch had told her about the weapon Yoshimitsu carried. 'No wonder the sword is eating at him. It's been so long since it's been used on a clan leader. It craves new energy.' It all seemed ludicrous to her. She gawked at him. "…You're joking, right?"

"This far from a joke."

"You have to be killed in order to be replaced!?" the woman screamed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of!"

"Perhaps it is my time. I am far too old. I've been running this clan for more than one lifetime should. And…I'm nothing more than a monster. Like Bryan." Yoshimitsu felt himself being swallowed by his self pity. Vera frowned. "Nothing more than a robot. And robots should not be in charge of humans."

She couldn't stand it anymore. Seeing his pain in the way his posture slumped, hearing it in the tone of his muffled voice. Knowing that what he said was true, that the only means of escape from this pain was only death. She couldn't believe it. Yoshimitsu, the kindest man she had ever met, was being torn apart left and right by both his enemies and allies. Yoshimitsu stumbled, his hunched shoulders sinking further. He began to turn away.

"No!" Vera grabbed the man and spun him back around to face her.

Vera opened the robe, baring the man's chest. She placed a hand against his skin. Yoshimitsu stiffened under her touch. He certainly was not expecting this.

"You're warm. You're soft. This is flesh!" Vera patted her hand against his chest. "This is you, Yoshimitsu!"

Yoshimitsu stared down at the woman. His gaze fell to her small hand against his torso.

She spoke, staring at the man's muscles. "There are people out there with mechanical hearts…they need them in order to live." She looked up at him. "Would you call them monsters? Robots? Would you say that they are any less human than anyone else?"

Yoshimitsu watched her for a second and then backed away. He turned, resting his elbow on his forearm that crossed his body. The palm of his hand lay against his forehead on the cold porcelain. Vera felt a tinge of hurt at the man pushing away from her. She stared at his back and saw his shoulders shudder. Vera lowered her head and wrapped her arms around the man. He raised his arms, nervous. She rested her head against his back.

"You know…sometimes when you hide yourself from others, it only builds walls between you and them. It doesn't protect them; it only causes pain for the both of you." Vera spoke softly to the man. She could hear his heartbeat through his back. It was beating heavily. "People only fear you because they do not know you, know your kindness."

They stood very still for a minute. She listened to the ninja steady his breathing. Then she felt him move, turning in her arms. He rested his chin on the top of her head, one hand set on the small of her back. Vera held her breath, surprised by his gesture. She expected him to move away from her. He let out his breath slowly.

"Is there anyone you've ever let in?" Vera asked after a long moment of silence.

Yoshimitsu straightened up. He seemed to stare off into space. "Once…" he walked around her and toward the fireplace. He looked at himself in the mirror's reflection. Vera followed him with her eyes. "And I had to kill her."

'What!?' Vera gasped. She felt her blood run cold.

Yoshimitsu turned to face the young woman. He stared at his own hands and began telling her the story.

* * *

The glowing green blade was stained by her blood. She looked down at the droplets as they plopped to the pure white snow on the forest ground. She stared, almost as if she was shocked.

"Y, you actually stabbed me." She stuttered in awe. She lifted her head to look at the man.

Yoshimitsu removed the blade from her torso. "Of course. Kunimitsu you brought this battle upon yourself, what would make you think I would hold back!?"

"I…I never imagined you'd actually do it." The woman coughed.

Kunimitsu dropped to a knee, breathing heavily. Her mask fell from her face and onto the snow. Seeing her face brought on a whole lot of memories Yoshimitsu had fought so hard to suppress. She glared at the man in the aliened costume.

"You weren't serious about our battle?" the man nearly released his blade. "Kunimitsu, do not make me regret my actions in this battle!"

"Why couldn't you just let me have it?" the woman groaned. "I don't feel good."

"Impossible! Kunimitsu, this battle was based on your actions! You've brought this upon yourself!" The man lectured.

"Out of everyone in this world, you use your harshest words on me." The woman gave a quiet laugh. Yoshimitsu tore his gaze away. "You…eh…haven't changed a bit…ugh." She dropped to the side, blood seeping from the wound.

"Kunimitsu!" Yoshimitsu dropped to her side. Golden brown eyes stared at the mask on the man's face.

"If you regret killing me, then why'd you do it?" the woman rasped. He held her in his arms. She took in his scent.

"I…I didn't…" the man was lost for words.

"After so many years, the hate was fading." Her hand lifted to rest on the side of the man's face. "When I saw you again, I knew it was over." Her voice was quiet, tears stung her eyes.

"Kunimitsu." It was all he could say.

"The sword isn't important to me anymore. Now…that I'm gone, you'll have nothing to worry about." The woman gave a small smile.

"…" He watched her sadly.

"You know I never liked it when you looked sad." The woman shook her head. A tear fell from the corner of her eye.

"I don't like it when I see you cry." His voice was low and shaky.

"Then hand me my mask. I'll hide the tears." She muttered bitterly.

"Kuni…" he stared at the porcelain mask on the ground.

The woman cried out in pain. Yoshimitsu lifted her higher, against his chest.

"I'm sorry!" Yoshimitsu squeezed her.

"I…I just want one thing…" she whispered. "It's always been about one thing." she gasped.

"Kunimitsu!"

"Let…" She breathed in slowly. Yoshimitsu felt her warm blood soak through his clothing. "Let me see your face…"

"My face?" the man whispered in question. Her hands cupped the sides of the mask.

"Let me see your face." She spoke very slowly.

Yoshimitsu stared down at the woman. Slowly, her fingers slipped from the disguise. Her arms were heavy, dropping to the ground with a soft thud. Her head fell back. A final tear dropped.

"Kuni…" he managed to get out. "Kuni." He shook her. "Kunimitsu!"

Yoshimitsu dropped her to the ground. His hands gripped at the mask. In a swift tug he removed it from his face and tossed it to the side. It skipped across the bloody snow and spun to lie on its side.

"Kunimitsu!" He cried out. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Look! My face! Look at my face!" he hollered.

Kunimitsu stared blankly at the sky. She didn't move; she didn't speak. Yoshimitsu held her head in his hands, directing her gaze. His shoulders shook as he took in ragged breaths.

"Look! Kunimitsu look! I'm crying!" The man scooped her back into his arms. He rocked back and forth slowly. "I'm crying…" The man sobbed aloud, not caring if anyone in the world saw.

"Kunimitsu!"

* * *

"That's terrible…" Vera stared at Yoshimitsu. The look on her face showed numerous emotions. Confusion, pain, sadness, hurt, and something that seemed a bit accusing. The two sat on the floor by the fireplace.

"She had broken the law. She had tried to steal the sacred sword. She had even challenged me. And in the end, despite every thought I've ever had…I had actually killed her. It was too easy. I didn't think it would be that easy. I thought that with my old age and weakening body, she'd succeed. But it wasn't so."His voice was low. He fiddled with the string on his waist band.

Vera tugged on her lower lip, not sure exactly what to say.

"Never told anyone…that story." Yoshimitsu swallowed thickly. "It happened many years ago."

"You loved her." Vera stated the obvious.

"More than I thought capable." He scoffed.

"And that's why you hide yourself?" the woman questioned.

"To keep away the pain." He frowned.

"It seems…to me…that the masks you wear only cause you pain."

"I'm beginning to think so too." The man sighed.

A soft knock at the door broke the two out of their long and awkward silence.

"Vera! Come on out! We've got some hot chocolate made and I think a few of the others are making…smores? Is that the right word?" it was Masumi. "Are you in there? Don't make me drag your ass out of bed! Don't tell me you've been sleeping all day! Not after I got you up this morning for lessons! You did go back to sleep after I left on my mission, didn't you!? Vera!" the woman rambled.

"What do you say?" Vera giggled at Masumi's chattering voice. She stood.

"Go on. I will be fine on my own." Yoshimitsu waved at her.

"…" Vera tapped her foot. "I'm making you go with me."

"…Do I have to?" He sighed.

"Yes." Vera giggled, holding her hand out to help the man to his feet. "Besides there's nothing better to heal wounds than hot chocolate and smores!" the woman grinned.

She tugged Yoshimitsu across the floor. "What…is a smore?" the man tilted his head.

"Something you are going to love!" Vera opened the door and dragged the nervous man out into the center of the grounds where the group of ninja sat.

She felt it her duty to cheer the man up, and nothing did that better than a giant smore with a group of ninja.

* * *

OK! Sorry about the slight delay. I had plans last night that prevented me from finishing this until now. I'm going to have to end it here for the night. I debated on where to end it, but I didn't want to hold off on the depressing past story another week. So this one's a bit longer than the others. Hope you enjoyed! Please read and review! -Annubis


	7. Chapter 7

Hey all! Hope you liked the last chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Only one more week of school and I'm done for the summer. Thank god! It's driving me crazy! Anyways, enjoy this new one; let me know what you think! oh and dont worry about me ending this cause of the review situation! I'm going with it to till the end! Yoshimitsu deserves it! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 7**

"Sir!" the soldier saluted his general.

"What is it? Have you found anything yet!? Why is it taking so long!? We should have infiltrated their village by now!" the general spat out angrily.

"We've been searching for days now and not until recently have we been able to find anything!" the soldier swallowed thickly.

"What do you mean? We had the location on the map, how hard is it to find the location of the woman's vehicle!?" the military superior stood from his chair, slamming his hands onto the desk.

"We found the car, sir! No problem with that. The village is the hard part. We searched for days…the entire forest and there was nothing in sight! We found nothing. There's no evidence. If they had been there at all it had seemed they picked up and left without a trace!" The soldier relaxed a bit. "Well, that is until Sergeant Walker ran into thin air!"

"Thin…air?" the general lifted a brow.

"Yes, sir! He was patrolling and then suddenly ran face first into an invisible wall!"

"Fiber optic camo?" the general smirked.

"That's what we speculated. We traced the surroundings, the invisible field stretched for about a mile radius. When touched, it gave a short electric field, shocking anyone who got too close. Our scientists set up a thermal watch yesterday. We have a map of the interior of the base." He dropped the diagram onto the General's desk. "There seems to be about one-thousand living within the compound."

"How is it possible for the Manji Clan to have this type of technology?" the general scrutinized the colorful map.

"It's Mishima technology. We looked up the data on our records. It's an upgraded version of the old Mishima Concealing Camo made about twenty-five years ago." The soldier set a file onto the General's desk. "The project had taken place under the supervision of one scientist named Dr. Boskonovitch."

"Boskonovitch? But he's dead." The general narrowed his gaze.

"So it seems. How they received the data for this type of technology is unknown. That is unless it was stolen. They are known to be thieves." The soldier shrugged.

"Gather your men. We are going to infiltrate as soon as possible, you understand?" the general ordered.

"Yes sir!" the man stood at attention.

"How are the suits?" the general questioned.

"They are being recharged." The soldier shook his head. "The scientists say they will need at least twenty-four hours."

"Damn!" the general griped. "Notify me as soon as they are charged. They may be few in number, but they are the most skilled ninja clan. We cannot take the chance of infiltrating without the cloaking suits."

"Tomorrow evening is the estimated time."

"Then, we will move out by foot. We will scan and keep watch of the village. By next nightfall, we'll attack." the general smirked.

"Understood!" The soldier saluted once more. He spun about face and marched out of the room.

"If they have the technology to conceal their entire village, we must come prepared for anything. We'll have to assign the security jammers and anti-thermal gear. It's a lot to carry, but It's worth the equipment risk." The general tapped his fingers on the wooden desk, staring at the thermal map.

* * *

Vera watched the flames of the campfire, orange light reflected in her grey eyes. She held onto her warm cup of hot chocolate, her fingers like ice. Laughter filled the grounds as the ninja flirted with one another and shared the latest gossip.

"You are cold." Yoshimitsu leaned to the side, talking softly to her.

"Just a little." Vera smiled. "This is keeping me warm." She raised her cup a bit. "Are you sure you don't want any? It would make you feel better."

"I feel fine." The man shrugged.

Vera knew that was a lie. She could tell from the man's posture he was very uncomfortable. She wondered how long it had been since he socialized with his people.

"It's that mask, isn't it?" Vera poked the man in the forehead. "You just don't want to take it off, do you? You're so afraid of showing your face that you won't even eat or drink when there are other people around. Yoshimitsu, you're so stubborn!" the woman giggled.

"Isn't that the truth!?" a small group of women stepped up to the couple. "Yoshimitsu! It's been so long since you've joined us! How are you feeling!? We've heard you had a nasty accident in the city." This woman had a look about her that Vera didn't like, something that reminded her of high school.

'Gossip prom queen…' Vera smirked. 'With her posse.'

"Miss Vera! How are you doing this evening?" the woman grinned a little too wide.

"Just fine, thanks." Vera smiled back. "And how are you?"

"Peachy! I don't believe I introduced myself to you!" the woman gave a high giggle. "I'm Kagami!" her almond shape eyes narrowed as she showed her teeth.

"Aiko." Another gave a short bow. Her ponytail bobbed with her head.

"Michi." One with dark red highlights in her long hair introduced herself.

"So…" Kagami began. She sat herself down next to Vera. "How are you liking it here?"

"It's nice." Vera nodded quickly. "Haven't met very many people yet."

"Oh, well that will change!" Kagami laughed loudly.

"How were the baths?" Michi muttered. Aiko giggled.

"The…the baths?" Vera stammered. "Um, just fine. I wasn't aware they were public at first." The three girls laughed. Vera looked to the side, Yoshimitsu was staring at her.

"I noticed you hanging around Masumi." Kagami snickered.

"Yes…" Vera said slowly.

"Heard she was in the baths when you first met." Aiko grinned.

Yoshimitsu nearly fell over from his seat on the log the small group was sharing. This comment seemed to stir the ears of some of the surrounding men near them.

"Yes. That's where we first met. She's been giving me some lessons." Vera looked from side to side, suddenly very nervous.

"So we've heard!" the women laughed.

"What's so funny?" Vera looked from Yoshimitsu, who was holding his face in his hands, to the surrounding stares.

"The baths…" Kagami whispered. "Are NOT public."

Laughter filled the camp.

"They…they aren't public?" Vera suddenly felt very embarrassed.

'I didn't accidentally go into Masumi's bath did I?' Vera bit her lip.

"Masumi likes women!" Michi announced.

"Masumi…like women…" Vera thought about it. 'How awkward!'

"Yeah! It sucks, cause she's so damned hot!" one man chuckled.

"Well it sucks for us cause we have to put up with her!" Kagami snapped. The men only laughed at the girl.

Vera thought of her and Masumi's conversation on the training grounds.

"_Why do they always stare?" Vera whispered. _

"_Hm? I didn't notice. You get used to it I guess. They don't like…different things." The woman stuck her tongue out as she passed a few chattering ninja. _

"_Like me?" Vera asked. _

"…_Yeah." Masumi nodded slowly. _

'That's why she hesitated. She's used to the stares because she gets them all the time. Because she's different…' Vera frowned.

A hand rested on Vera's shoulder. It was Yoshimitsu. "I'll have a talk with her." The man said in a hushed tone.

"No…" Vera shook her head. "It's alright."

"Speaking of!" Kagami giggled.

Masumi was heading in their direction.

"Got some more hot chocolate!" Masumi cheered happily.

"Hey, Masumi!" Kagami waved.

"…Hey Kagami." The woman forced a smile.

"So you've met Vera, right? What do you think of her?" Kagami stood, picking at her nails. The group laughed quietly to themselves.

Masumi's eye fell on Vera. She noticed how tense the woman was. Masumi let out a long sigh; she knew what this was all about.

"Vera?" Masumi shrugged. "She's doing well with her training. Improving more and more with each day!"

The three girls frowned, not what they had wanted to hear. The men, on the other hand, thought it was hilarious. Yoshimitsu rose to his feet, the laughter died down a bit. Masumi only fed him her nicest smile.

"Masumi." Yoshimitsu cleared his throat. "May I talk with you a moment?"

"Talk with me!? Why certainly, Yoshimitsu!" Masumi gave a wink and wrapped her arm around Yoshimitsu's as he guided her away from the campfire. Vera smiled at Masumi's gesture.

The two made their way into the darkness. After they were out of hearing distance Yoshimitsu folded his arms.

"Masumi…" the man shook his head. "We've heard some interesting information from the triplets." 'The triplets' was a term given to Kagami, Michi, and Aiko.

"Oh yes…I figured that." Masumi rolled her eyes. "I could tell by the look on Vera's face…and your awkward posture." She mimicked him, holding her face in her hands, shaking her head.

Yoshimitsu smiled. He always like Masumi, she had a cheerful personality despite all the trouble she was given by the other ninja. Masumi was thought of as different and she obviously didn't care. She handled things much better than Yoshimitsu did.

"Her bath?" Yoshimitsu sighed, folding his arms.

"Aw, it was just some fun!" the woman gave another wink to the man. "You know… just checking out the new guest. You know how I like to play with them." She said sweetly.

"It may be fun for you, but now it's causing fun for everyone else at you and Vera's expense." The man lectured.

"Ah…I see." Masumi frowned. "Don't worry, Yoshimitsu! I won't lay a hand on your woman!" she slapped him on the chest, giggling wildly. Masumi was even taller than Vera. This also didn't help with her popularity with the other small female ninja. Masumi was tall and beautiful and she had many mysteries to her.

Vera watched the two. Yoshimitsu seemed relaxed until Masumi began laughing and slapped him on the chest. Now he was very tense.

"Masumi seems to be enjoying her lecture." One man mentioned, following Vera's gaze.

"Well of course!" Kagami cheered, sitting on the man's lap. "Daisuke! Wouldn't you love to have a lecture with her!?"

"What man wouldn't?" the man known as Daisuke smirked at the young woman on his lap.

Kagami gave a grunt of disgust, she pushed away from him.

"Oh! Yoshimitsu! You're so funny!" Michi mocked the two in the darkness. She spoke with a high pitched, girly voice. She giggled loudly. Vera thought it funny as Michi sounded just like Kagami.

"Now that we're away from everyone, I can ask you." Michi now was doing her impression of Yoshimitsu, a failed attempt at a manly low voice. "How was last night?"

"Oh you! It was lovely as usual! I love your masks!" now Michi was being fed all the attention around the fire.

"I thought you said Masumi liked women." Vera tilted her head.

"Ah, she likes both. Anything…really." Aiko spoke up.

"Both." Vera smirked.

"How about tonight? My place? The usual?" Michi continued. Yoshimitsu placed his hand on Masumi's shoulder. Masumi fell into laughter and she rested her head against his chest as they walked back to the campfire. Yoshimitsu rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Tee hee! I'll wear the outfit you like!" Michi placed her hands on her cheeks, giggling.

"Ugh…can you imagine!?" Kagami rolled her eyes.

"I wonder…" Aiko grinned.

"Perv!" Kagami accused.

"Not them together! Yoshimitsu!" Aiko threw a burnt smore at the woman's leg.

"I bet he's wild!" Michi added.

"Old!" Kagami screamed.

Michi shrugged. "He could be hot!"

"I bet _she's_ wild!" Daisuke added. One of the men beside him raised his brows repeatedly.

"You've no idea how wild!" the man gave a loud and low laugh.

"That's gross…" Kagami shuddered.

"Oh dear…" Vera frowned. She couldn't help but think. What if Yoshimitsu and Masumi had slept together in the past? Yoshimitsu was human, after all.

"Did I miss something?" Masumi asked as she entered the lion's den.

Yoshimitsu sat next to Vera. "She's a good woman. She meant no harm. She only likes to pick on the new people. Masumi has a good heart." Vera nodded, giving a small smile.

"Nothing of importance!" Kagami responded to Masumi. She stretched and yawned loudly and sat next to Daisuke, resting her head on his shoulder. The other two girls planted their rears next to the other men. Masumi sat next to Vera.

"Don't mind them…they're evil is all." She whispered.

"I caught onto that quickly. I'll have to watch what I say and do around them." Vera added.

"Good idea." Masumi gave a crooked grin. "And…I'm sorry, if I've made you uncomfortable. Hope you don't think I'm creepy."

"Don't worry about it." Vera shook her head. "They're the ones that made me uncomfortable and besides, there's no way I can think you're creepy. I mean…look at who I hang out with most of the time." she looked out the corner of her eye at Yoshimitsu.

"I see what you mean!" Masumi gave a scary face.

"I heard that…" Yoshimitsu growled, looking at the two women.

"Aw, Yoshimitsu! We just love you so much, though!" Masumi gave him a pouty face.

"You're mocking me again…" the man muttered.

"Only cause its fun." Vera added.

"Now my pain is your pleasure?" the man turned his gave to meet Vera's.

"You're embarrassment is our pleasure!" Vera beamed.

"It's so cute when you're embarrassed!" Masumi nodded.

"I take back what I said about her…" Yoshimitsu frowned.

The man sighed loudly, his shoulders falling. The two women continued their fun with the man as the other ninja fell into separate conversations.

A bell rang, alerting the ninja of dinner. Tonight the kitchen staff had placed the food out on a long table. Yoshimitsu stood. He led Vera and Masumi to the lineup of hungry ninja.

"Look at this!" Vera smiled. "There's more than rice out here!"

"The kitchen cook was sick the past week." Masumi leaned across Yoshimitsu to whisper to Vera. "Sadly, the replacement cook only knows how to make _RICE_!" she growled through gritted teeth.

"So in honor of the cook being well again he made a big feast." Yoshimitsu talked to Vera. "You'll get a full meal this time. Even if it's a late one…" he glanced at the moon in the sky.

"You're eating, right?" Vera placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I will eat. Just not out here." The man smirked.

"You know…you're no fun, Yoshimitsu." Masumi sulked.

Eyes watched the group of three in the line.

"So what do you think?" Kagami whispered.

"About what?" Daisuke sighed in irritation. Kagami never shut up.

"That Vera woman. Her and Yoshimitsu!" Kagami snapped.

"I heard they've been sleeping together." Aiko licked her teeth.

"They've got to have something going on. I mean, he was in her room this evening." Michi added.

"I heard that Vera is easy." Kagami said; her voice full of poison. She glanced over at Daisuke.

"Easy?" the man was interested now.

"She sleeps with any man."

"Bull!" one man shouted.

"It's true." Kagami whispered, slapping the other man on the arm.

"You think she'd like me?" another man smiled. "She is cute."

"I bet she's got a nice body." Another replied.

"She's tall, foreign, smart, and cute." Michi counted on her fingers. "Quite the catch."

"Sounds interesting…" Daisuke watched the woman, Vera, from afar. He had his way with a lot of the women in the camp. Vera was indeed something different. He had never been denied before, this sounded like a fun game to play. He rolled his gaze over to Kagami. "You're an awful woman, you know that?"

"What!?" Kagami gasped.

"I'll play your game." Daisuke smiled.

* * *

Morning had come quickly. Vera tossed and turned in her bed, not able to sleep. She sat up, pulling the sheets off her body. It was particularly warm this morning.

"Damn…weather fluctuations. Warm or cold!? Make up your mind!" the woman sighed.

There was a knock at her door.

"Oi! You awake in there!?" it was Masumi.

"I'm awake." Vera said as she tugged her door open. She gaped at the woman outside her door. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"A swimsuit!" Masumi grinned. She held her shirt over her head. Her suit was quite revealing and black. But then again, Masumi wasn't a modest person. "Come on! Grab yours! We're going to the hot springs!"

"Hot springs!?" Vera stammered.

"Out back behind the camp. It's a couple miles but it's vacation time. A bunch of us don't have any missions for the day, we're heading out to the springs." The woman explained.

"I'm not even sure I packed my suit. I just kind of grabbed everything and threw it into the suitcase." Vera turned and trotted to her suit case. She dumped everything onto the floor and searched through her pile of jeans, t-shirts, and underwear. "Ah! I did!" she giggled, holding up the pieces of her red and white suit.

"Go! Put it on! We're leaving now!" Masumi hopped excitedly. She was like a child in a candy store.

Vera did as told, rushing to the small bathroom and changing.

"Ah! Yoshimitsu!" Masumi cheered. "How are you today, sir?" she stepped in front of the man, stopping him.

"Just fine. And you?" the man asked. He was wearing the same mask from the day before.

"Lovely! Where are you off to?" Masumi placed her hands behind her back.

"To see the doctor."

"That old guy? Boring!" Masumi smiled.

'She's stalling…' Yoshimitsu folded his arms.

"What are you up to, Masumi?" he asked.

"A bunch of us are going to the hot springs! You are coming, right?" the woman stood on her tiptoes, staring him down.

"Most likely not…" the man replied dully.

"Why not!?" She placed her hands on her hips angrily.

"I'm not one for swimming…"

"Ya don't have to swim! You can just sit there and enjoy the warm water."

"I can do that in my bath…" Yoshimitsu frowned. He stepped around the woman.

"Ah! Wait!" Masumi grabbed his arm.

"Yoshimitsu?" it was Vera.

"Oh, Vera. Good morn-…" he stared.

Vera stood in the doorway wearing nothing but her bathing suit. Yoshimitsu's gaze traveled her body. She wore a two piece suit, white with red flowers. She had a small frame. Curves, he traced the outline of her middle and hips. She had a small freckle off to the side of her stomach and hip. She had long legs connected to sandaled feet. The trip was an instant but the sight of her was burned into his retinas. There was a long awkward silence.

"Oh!" Vera ran back into her room, wrapping herself with her blanket. She trotted back outside. "Sorry! We're going to the hot springs! Are you going!?"

Yoshimitsu fed a glare in Masumi's smiling direction.

"Sorry, I cannot. I have a mission to prepare for tonight." He bowed shortly and then strode away from the women.

"He's such an old man!" Masumi growled in frustration. "Oh well! Come on, Vera!"

"Wait! My clothes!"

The two women met at the back gates of the compound. There was a small group, all women. The triplets were there and much to Vera's relief many other whom she hadn't met yet.

"What's going on here!?" A male ninja in his uniform dropped from a tree above the group. The girls screamed. If Vera hadn't known, she would have never guessed them all to be ninja.

"We are going to the hot springs." One woman stated.

"All girls? No men!?" he looked them up and down. "Bathing suits, right?"

One of the girls lifted her shirt. "This what you wanted to see?" she giggled.

"I have a group of buddies who had nothing else to do today, mind if we join?" the man asked hopefully.

The women looked at each other, some skeptical and others hopeful. "Sure, why not." The woman shrugged.

"Don't leave yet!" the man disappeared in a flash.

"You best hurry!" the woman shouted.

"It's kinda funny. For some reason…I didn't think you guys would have bathing suits." Vera said to Masumi. The girls all laughed.

"We're not locked up in here all the time!" one woman with dyed blonde hair spoke.

"Yeah! We like to stay normal. We'll all go crazy staying in here!" another added.

"The girls like to go out shopping on their days off." Masumi explained. "Just like any other woman a night out on the town is a great form of entertainment. Especially when you're cooped up in this village all the time."

"Clothes, underwear, makeovers, clubs!" Kagami chattered. "So much more entertaining than this place!"

"But you all are so fit…I feel a little self conscious wearing a swimsuit. I don't get out much. I look like a vampire, I'm so white!" Vera looked down at herself.

"No way! Look at you! You're so cute and little! You're probably gonna get hit on by all the guys." A different woman said.

"Little?" Vera laughed lightly. She was taller than most of the women there, Masumi even taller than her.

"This way…not this way!" one woman measured her with her hands. She was saying Vera was skinny.

"Oh…" Vera tugged on her lip.

"Besides…the guys have a thing for tall women." Aiko mentioned.

"Too bad, Kagami." Masumi smirked. Kagami stuck her tongue out at the woman. Kagami was only five two.

"You don't want to miss the guys, either!" the blonde woman blushed. "Not when they are in their suits!"

"Yeah, but sometimes it's best just to look at the bodies and not the faces!" Michi added. The women laughed.

"You should do more with us, Vera!" one woman said. She looked very kind. Her hair was thick and curly.

"I should." Vera smiled and nodded.

"Oh boy…here they come." Masumi sighed. "And…they brought Daisuke…" there were a few giggles and a few agitated sighs from the group.

"Surprised you waited!" this must've been the man who asked to come along. "We hurried as fast as we could!" the man looked over at the group of men, waving them over.

"Hey. Isn't that Yoshimitsu?" Kagami pointed.

Vera and Masumi looked over their shoulders. The man was walking behind the buildings toward the training grounds.

"Yoshimitsu!" the group of women announced.

Vera laughed as she saw Yoshimitsu freeze, twitch a bit and then slowly turn to face the group waving at him from the gate. He waved slowly, acting like he didn't understand.

"Come on!" Vera grabbed Masumi's hand.

"Yoshimitsu!" Masumi waved at him. "Grab your suit! You're coming with us!"

"I can't…" the man shook his head.

"Yoshimitsu!" this time it was the men.

'Damn…' Yoshimitsu frowned.

"Hey! What are you doing?" it was the same man from before. He followed Vera and Masumi. "Come on, were taking you with us."

"I don't have a swimsuit." Yoshimitsu stated simply.

"I…have an extra." The man tugged from his towel a separate pair of shorts. "And I know they will fit you."

"What the hell are you doing with another pair?" Masumi gave the man a strange look.

"Ah, Keiji said he couldn't find his so I brought one of my old pairs…then he found his." The man shrugged. "I was just too lazy to go back to my room so I was just gonna carry it with me all day."

"There! You're all set!" Vera clapped her hands together.

"Do I have to?" he muttered as if in pain.

"Yes!" the two girls grabbed his arms and pulled him toward the group.

"Here you go!" he tossed the shorts at the masked man.

"Thanks…Jiro…" Yoshimitsu grumbled.

To add to Yoshimitsu's embarrassment, everyone cheered and whistled at him.

"Let's move!" Kagami shouted, pushing the giant doors open.

The trip didn't take as long as Vera had expected. The company of her new friends made the journey more enjoyable.

"No one is ever here, so we don't have to worry about people showing up unexpectedly." Masumi spoke to Vera. "We are kind of in isolation out here. Thanks to the city, not many people ever leave to find things like this."

"So it's like your own private hot spring! That's pretty cool!" Vera smiled.

"Wait till you see it!" Masumi squealed.

The group came to a heavily wooded area. Trees touched one another and bushes grew and climbed the surfaces. It was like a wall of foliage.

"Through here!" One girl announced.

They all shoved through the wall into a wide area. Vera immediately smelled the sulfur. The temperature rose significantly once they passed through.

"WOW!" Vera gaped. Others did the same; obviously she wasn't the only one who had never been to the springs before.

The volume of the group rose as the ninja leapt into the waters. The men cheered and hooted as the women slowly took off their shirts and pants.

"Oh dear!" Vera felt her face burning. She held her hands over herself protectively.

"Just take it off!" Masumi waved a hand at the girl and tugged Vera's shirt over her head.

"Ah!" Vera covered herself immediately. "Now that! That was uncomfortable!"

"Sorry!" Masumi laughed, throwing the t-shirt over her shoulder.

"That wasn't uncomfortable! That was hot!" one man hollered.

"Take off her pants!" another called out.

"Don't!" Vera pointed at the woman. "I can remove my own pants!"

Now everyone's attention was on her. They all teased and whistled at her.

"They're making me feel like a prostitute." Vera frowned.

"Take it off!" Kagami giggled. "Come on, Vera! We don't have all day!"

Masumi stood in front of Vera, forming a wall.

"Just take 'em off. The quicker you do it, the quicker you can hide in the water."

Vera tugged her pants off and darted into the hot water, all the while the crowd went wild.

"Is it always like this!?" Vera asked.

"What do you mean?" Masumi laughed.

"All about embarrassing people and sex!?"

"…Yeah…" all the women nodded in unison.

"Hey! What about you!?" One woman stood. The girls turned their gazes to her pointing finger.

Yoshimitsu sat on a rock, watching the clouds in the sky. Next to him was Jiro.

"Yoshimitsu! We want to see you with your shirt off!" Michi screamed.

'This is just like high school…' Vera frowned.

Yoshimitsu ignored them.

"Aw, come on, Yoshimitsu. The ladies want to see the goods." Jiro patted him on the shoulder.

"What?" Yoshimitsu glanced at the man.

"Just change, you never do anything with us anymore. It'd be good for you." The man tried to persuade him.

"Why should I take off my clothes?" Yoshimitsu sighed.

"It's a hotspring…you can't wear your clothes and armor in there." Jiro scolded.

"Maybe later." Yoshimitsu laid his chin in his hand.

"You're no fun." Jiro let out an exasperated sigh. He trotted to the waters and leapt as far as he could, splashing the group beside him.

"Damn it, Jiro!" one of the women cursed.

"Ya know…Daisuke has been watching you all day." One woman, named Kana leaned to Vera and whispered.

"Daisuke?" Vera asked curiously.

"That one!" Kana pointed.

There was a group of men rough housing in the water a few feet away. On a large rock, watching was Daisuke. He was attractive and very fit, like all of the men at the spring that day.

"He's cute, right?" Kana asked.

"Yeah. He actually is." Vera grinned.

Yoshimitsu noticed Vera staring. He guided his gaze to where Daisuke sat.

'Great…' the man frowned.

"Yeah. But you know about men who look good on the outside, right?" Masumi spoke up.

"What?" Vera asked.

"They are ugly, selfish, assholes on the inside."

"Oh that's not true." Kagami let herself join the conversation. "Daisuke is a great guy."

"If you like manipulative, sex crazed maniacs." Masumi snorted.

"How would you know? You don't sleep with men." Kagami snarled.

"Not after that jerk!" Masumi growled back.

Dead silence ensued after that comment.

"What!?" Kagami sputtered, nearly drowning in the scalding water.

"You heard me." Masumi folded her arms.

"Holy crap, woman! Give us the details!" One woman scooted over in the water to sit next to Masumi.

"I already did…" the woman scoffed. "There's nothing to tell."

"How big!?" another giggled.

"Oh, please! What do you think he needs the big ego for!?" she raised her hands beside her head.

The women laughed.

"What's so funny?" a male voice sounded.

The girls froze.

"Hey Daisuke! We were just talking about you!" Aiko giggled.

"It better have been good." The man mumbled.

"Oh it was!" Michi snickered.

"Sure." Daisuke raised a brow. "Uh…Vera, right?"

Vera turned quickly, mouth dropping. "Yeah?"

"I haven't introduced myself to you, Daisuke." The man held his hand out to her.

"Nice to meet you." Vera shook his hand. He tugged on it, lifting her from the water with ease.

The women laughed.

"Oh!" Vera was shocked. Once she was placed down she immediately tried to cover herself.

"You're very shy." The man smiled.

'Shy!?' it was funny to her. She never once thought of herself as being shy. Usually it was her who made the man blush. She never had been confronted by someone as confident as Daisuke before.

"Only around new people." The woman laughed nervously. She noticed Masumi's warning glance.

Daisuke placed a hand on her back and guided her away from the waters. "Come talk to me for a bit, I'd like to get to know you. Sorry to have pulled you out of the water, I just can't seem to talk around those girls. You know their constant chattering and giggling. It's like being a teenager again."

"I know what you mean." Vera smiled. He didn't seem too bad.

"Women like that are fun to hang out with, but a lot of them are nothing more than pretty faces. I like women who are intelligent." He sat down next to Vera on a rock and offered her his towel. "You're a scientist, right?"

"Yes." Vera nodded.

"That must be very hard work." The man smirked, it was an irresistible smile.

"Lots of school. Lots of time in dark computer labs." She shrugged. "Not the greatest environment but it pays the bills."

"I understand. I can't imagine that though, being locked up in the city all the time. Never getting to see the outdoors. Do you miss it?" he asked, watching over the people in the springs.

"I do! I love it out here. It's great. It's been good for me to get out and away from the city for a while." She nodded slowly.

There was a loud scream as one of the men scooped Kagami onto his shoulders. It seemed a battle of chicken was about to break out.

"It's kinda loud, isn't it?" Daisuke stood up. "You maybe want to go somewhere quieter?"

"Um…" Vera looked at Masumi whom was staring from the waters. She gave her a look, one that Masumi read as 'emergency'.

"Don't be shy! I'm not some psycho killer." The man chuckled. He stepped in the way of her line of sight from Masumi.

"Oh, um…I don't know. It's cold out here." She chattered her teeth.

Daisuke smiled at her. It was such a great smile, one that made her want to melt. He leaned forward, whispering in her ear. "I can keep you warm if you get too cold."

'Oh dear!' Vera bit her lip.

"Oh no! Daisuke…I'm not sure I should." Vera backed away slowly. Daisuke opened his mouth to speak. He looked dumbfounded.

"Excuse me, Daisuke." A male voice intruded.

Daisuke frowned.

"I have something important to talk to Vera about. It has to do with the mission…" Yoshimitsu stepped to the man's side, his hand clamped on his shoulder.

"Of course." Daisuke let out a loud sigh. He gave a quick smile to Vera before turning around and marching back to the waters.

Vera saw Masumi giggling behind a hand. She obviously signaled to Yoshimitsu.

"Everything alright?" Yoshimitsu asked. Vera gave him a shy smile.

"Fine." She breathed a laugh. "Wow…he's persistent."

"He's trouble." Yoshimitsu leaned against a tree.

"So now you're my babysitter?" Vera asked. "Telling me who I can and cannot hang out with?"

"Well... I…" He saw that she was smiling. A corner of his mouth turned up from behind the mask. "That's right. I'm in charge of protecting you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Keep me safe?" Vera asked. She suddenly didn't feel so nervous about being out of the water. Being around Yoshimitsu had a completely different feeling than when with other men. She dropped her arms and stepped forward, grabbing his hands. She gave what Yoshimitsu thought to be quite the seductive smile. "Then why don't you come keep me safe over here?" She whispered, tugging him toward her.

"V…Vera?" the man looked around, trying to find a means of escape.

"Come on!" Vera giggled, tugging on the man. It was like pulling on a brick wall. The man did not move.

'He's strong!' the woman smiled.

"No!" he panicked, planting his feet.

"Masumi! Help!" Vera screamed.

"Coming to the rescue!" Masumi hopped out of the water and ran to where the girl struggled with the ninja. "Yoshimitsu, what kind of trouble are you causing!?"

"I, I'm not causing trouble! Sh,she is!" Yoshimitsu stuttered.

Vera's scream alerted Jiro. The man chuckled, running to her rescue.

"Go away!" Yoshimitsu huffed, fighting the two women who were tugging on his arms.

"Yoshi, Yoshi! Look at this! You're going to deny these two beautiful women your attendance?" Jiro slowed to a walk, shaking his head.

"Yes!" Yoshimitsu nodded.

"You have the shorts on, why not dive…in!" Vera yanked. Yoshimitsu stumbled forward.

"Come on, my friend." Jiro grabbed Yoshimitsu's arm and pulled. Vera ran to the back and pushed against him.

"The hot water will make you feel better!" Vera said.

"I feel fine." Yoshimitsu glared at her from over his shoulder.

"Sore muscles and injured organs. If you fight too much, you'll only hurt yourself." Vera tapped him on the shoulder.

"She's right!" Masumi nodded, pulling his other arm.

Yoshimitsu stumbled as he was pulled toward the steaming waters. Now the entire clan was hooting and hollering. It was like a wrestling match.

"Jiro!" Yoshimitsu yelled in his nastiest tone.

"Yes, Yoshimitsu?" Jiro asked happily, not feeling threatened at all.

"…I hate you..." Yoshimitsu grumbled.

"Take it off!" Kagami cheered and bounced on the shoulders of the man who had picked her up earlier.

"Oh yeah!" Vera smiled. She stuck her fingers under the cotton shirt and lifted it quickly.

'Damn it!' Yoshimitsu frowned.

Vera pulled it over his shoulders and head. Masumi helped, tugging it down his arms and throwing the article away. He was vulnerable, feeling naked. His abominable and chest muscles were revealed to all. His biceps and arms were bare for all to see. Vera couldn't help but take it in. The interest in him was only heightened due to the fact that Yoshimitsu always hid himself. Obviously, everyone else thought the same. He was cut, like a marble statue in the art museums. And like Vera thought, he was still skinny. To her surprise there were no scars or cuts on his body. It obviously had to do with the fact the bio-mechanical organs replicated and healed tissue at a rapid rate. Yoshimitsu pulled his arms in and covered his face.

"No use hiding, Yoshimitsu! We can't see your face anyways!" Masumi giggled. The whole springs yelled with cat calls and laughter.

"Yeah…all we can see is you're hot body!" Michi yelled from the waters.

"You're only making it worse for yourself…" Vera giggled. "Come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the waters. He stumbled at first, staring at the rocks on the ground. Then he figured the quicker he got in, the quicker he could hide. The man jumped in and lowered himself into the water, hiding most of his face.

"Was that so bad?" Masumi asked as she dipped in beside him.

"Excruciating." The man eyeballed her.

"Take off the mask!" Aiko reached. Yoshimitsu ducked away.

"No. Let's let him keep it on." Vera held up a hand. "We've stripped him enough today."

"Of my dignity…" the man replied sourly.

Vera gave him the cutest giggle she could muster. "Are you mad at me?" She gave him a tiny smile and lifted her head to look up at him.

"How the hell can you be mad when she gives you that face?" Masumi slapped her forehead.

Yoshimitsu let out a slow breath. Masumi was right. There was no way he could stay mad at Vera when she looked at him like that. Yoshimitsu was a big softie.

"You owe me." The man whispered.

"Hm…that could be interesting." Vera grinned.

"…" he looked to the side, embarrassed once again.

"You should come with us more often, Yoshimitsu." Michi leaned against the rocky surface of the pool. "Nothing you should hide from us. You look fine."

"…" the man looked down at himself.

"And you're still hiding." The girls sighed.

"If it makes you feel better, you look the best outta all the men here!" Kana giggled loudly.

"…Not much…" Yoshimitsu frowned.

"If it makes you feel better…you made a lot of people happy today." Vera whispered.

"Except for one." Yoshimitsu tilted his head to look at the woman, resting it on the rock behind him.

Vera snorted a laugh. "That's true."

* * *

"What's wrong Daisuke? Didn't get your flavor of the week?" Kagami tapped her blue fingernails on his chest. "Looks like you've finally been _denied_." She laughed in his face.

"You want me to break that pretty little hand of yours?" the man gave her a malicious grin. Kagami pulled away quickly.

"You are a crazy bastard, you know that." Kagami hissed as she shoved away and walked back to her girl friends.

"It's not over yet. I'll win at your little game, Kagami." Daisuke narrowed his eyes, watching Vera hanging all over Yoshimitsu. It was beyond the game now. Vera's rejection only fed fuel to the fire. He was going to have his way no matter what.

* * *

Ok! Ending it here for the night! This was a more social, fluffy chapter, not really action packed. But Yoshimitsu's gotta have a way to grow relationship wise! Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! -Annubis


	8. Chapter 8

Hello all! Decided to give you a lil hot springs action in the last chapter. Doesn't it seem like a lot of anime have at least one hot springs episode? Makes for some good fun and character development. Anyways, maybe a tad bit of a warning for this chapter. May contain some mature subjects. Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 8**

The skies were clouding quickly. Vera pulled her towel around her tightly, trying to get a bit more warmth. The trip to the hot springs turned out better than she would have ever imagined. It was relaxing and the water was the perfect temperature. She and the other girls almost refused to leave as the weather began chill. Yoshimitsu practically dragged her out of the water, even offered her his own towel to use as a blanket.

"It's going to rain again." Masumi murmured.

"Hopefully my suit's repairs are finished." Yoshimitsu inspected the sky watching the fat, grey thunderheads rolling by.

"Suit? You're going out tonight? In this weather?" Vera asked, watching the man with interest.

Yoshimitsu stared at the clouds, shrugging. "Yeah."

"Are you going to be alright? I mean…your wounds."

"I will be fine. It's nothing serious, only a petty mission." He looked down at her, giving her a reassuring nod. "Completely unrelated to the past mission."

"Unrelated? What is it?" she twirled her hair with a finger.

"Something small, not dangerous at all. I cannot discuss it with you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave him a skeptical look. "But it's really nothing to worry about. I have no conflict with anyone and I will be concealed the entire time. I assure you, it's nothing to worry about."

"You promise?" the woman asked, raising her eyebrows.

"…" he watched her. Was she really that worried about him? "I promise you, I'll be back tonight unscathed. I'll even stop by to prove it to you if it will settle you." He gave a low chuckle.

Daisuke, who traveled a ways back, eavesdropped on the conversation.

"You had better!" She hopped over a broken branch on the path. "I'll hold you to it."

"You two are making me sick." Masumi snorted.

"What?" Vera and Yoshimitsu both looked over their shoulders at the woman. Masumi held a large grin on her face.

"Well we're back at the village. You two best have your kiss goodbyes." Masumi walked past them, opening the large gates.

"Masumi!" Vera placed her hands on her hips. "I'm just concerned about his safety! He did just get out of a nasty surgery!"

"Yoshimitsu's been through worse. He'll manage." Jiro spoke up.

"She's only concerned. She is a scientist after all; it's her job to be worried. And she hasn't been with me all her life to know how I work." Yoshimitsu folded his arms. Vera lowered her head. The statement made her feel a little less welcome to the Manji community. It was true, she knew very little about Yoshimitsu and his missions and it was a bit unnerving.

Vera walked with Yoshimitsu to the lab area. She twiddled her fingers awkwardly.

"What's the matter?" Yoshimitsu looked down at her, stopping.

"Nothing." She shrugged innocently.

"You're fidgeting." He pointed at her hands. Vera smiled. Yoshimitsu had analyzed her as much as she did him.

"It's nothing. Just worried that something might happen."

"On my mission tonight?" He tapped the side of his cheek, thinking. Vera nodded. "It's nothing. I've told you."

"I know, but I can still worry. What if something goes wrong? What if Bryan finds you? Or worse?" she bit her lip.

"It's in a small village on the other side of the city." He sighed, giving away information he wasn't allowed to.

"On the other side? That will take you all night to get to!" Vera gasped.

"I'll be taking the horse." The man smiled.

"Horse? We have horses!?" Vera gasped.

"Indeed. You like horses?"

"Yeah. But…that's not it. Why the hell haven't we used them!?" She gawked at the man.

"We usually do not use them for distances as short as the city. It wears them down quicker. We need to use them for long journeys." He explained. "Maybe someday, if we can get the money and if our clan grows, we could get more horses so we will not have to travel so much by foot, conserve energy."

"Will you take me out for a ride someday?" she chewed on her fingernail, looking hopeful.

Yoshimitsu stared at her for a moment. "You like horses that much?" there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Well…they kind of scare me. They're so big. I've never ridden a horse." Vera made an awkward face.

"You've never ridden a horse?" Yoshimitsu nearly gasped. Vera wasn't expecting him to be so shocked. "Then, I promise to take you out as soon as I am back!"

"At night!?"

"A ride at night by moonlight is quite relaxing." He raised his head. "But then again, perhaps it may be a bit too wet out tonight for a ride."

"Horseback riding in the rain at night…" Vera grinned. "Romantic."

"Oh! Um…I…" the man scratched his head awkwardly. "Just to let you experience it…to teach you." She giggled at him. Yoshimitsu then paused and shrugged his shoulders. "But…yeah." His voice raised in pitch.

"Yeah?" Vera smiled, blushing a bit. Was this his way of asking her on a date?

"Anyways. I must be going. I have to change and prepare." He muttered quickly.

"The suit you wore when you and I first met?" she questioned.

"Yes. It has been repaired by the Doctor."

"I like that suit."

"You do?" he straightened. "It is one of my favorites as well."

"You have more!?" She asked excitedly.

"I will show them to you someday."

"Ok!" she swayed on her feet.

"But now I must leave." He gave his signature nod and turned away.

"And…you'll let me know when you're back?" she asked.

"Of course. And I'll take you to the horses stable, that is, if the weather permits."

"You be careful." Vera gave him a small wave, watching him disappear behind the metal door of the lab.

Thunder rolled in the distance. Vera sighed heavily. All this rain was beginning to dampen her mood. To think that she still had to go through the winter season only put her in a bigger slump. A chill breeze wrapped around the woman as she hurried back to her living quarters. She slid open the door to her room and was thrilled to see that a fire had already been prepared for her. Sitting next to her bed was a small pot of warm tea.

"Good hospitality." She smiled and trotted to her bed, wrapping the blanket about her snuggly. She left the door open to her room, watching the tiny droplets of rain plop onto the wooden veranda.

The woman poured herself a cup of warm tea. She sighed happily, more relaxed and at ease. Yoshimitsu was going to be fine. He'd be back before she knew it and they'd go out horseback riding. The thought made her smile.

"What a silly man." She giggled to herself.

Vera had situated herself so she could see the front gates where she sat. She thought of it as watching television. She would sit in her room with her door open to anyone who wanted to share conversation. As she waited, bored, she learned that the ninja were entertaining to watch. Some would hurry about, carrying out their chores. Others would be busy training, some socializing, and finally the little kids would venture to the center of the grounds for their schooling and playtime. It was quite peaceful, but she did admit, the place was terribly boring. Her eyes fell onto the glass chess set in the corner of her room. Doctor Boskonovitch had allowed her to borrow it, to get her mind off of things while Yoshimitsu was still injured. Sadly, there was no one around who knew how to play.

There was a high pitched whinny sounding from outside. Vera turned her gaze back out onto the grounds. Yoshimitsu was at the front gate, riding a tall, thick, black horse. It had a long flowing mane and tail, tufts of fur around its hooves.

"Clydesdale…" Vera gawked at the magnificent horse.

Yoshimitsu, covered in his armor, his mask and golden metallic helmet and glass half face plate looked menacing on the giant black horse. She shivered at the sight. He was intriguing, a mystery to her. Yoshimitsu was a symbol of fear and power, but after getting to know him she couldn't help but think of how vulnerable he actually was.

Vera watched the man leave, talking and nodding. His horse trotted happily out of the complex. Vera knew that even though Yoshimitsu may have complications on the inside he was still a force to be reckoned with. She wouldn't want to see him on a bad day, sword drawn and galloping toward her with the intent to kill.

"Come home quickly…" Vera sighed, rubbing her eyes. The rain was dropping softly now, the clouds waiting for the right time to explode and pour onto the earth.

The woman yawned. She looked back at her fluffy pillow.

'Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a nap. Time will go by faster and next thing I know, Yoshimitsu will be back and I'll get to see his horse!' she squealed quietly to herself. Vera plopped onto the mat, not caring she left her door wide open. The soft thunder was soothing. She piled the blankets on herself and fell asleep with a smile on her face, dreaming of riding by horseback in the dark forest with an enigmatic demon.

* * *

Thunder exploded, shaking the walls of the room. Vera jolted out of her slumber.

'Woah!' she gaped, sitting up.

The thunder crashed again, hurting her eardrums. Vera stood, her blankets wrapped around her. She scuttled across her wooden, icy floor toward the door of her room. She looked out for a split second. It was down pouring rain. The droplets pelted the buildings almost like hail, some droplets frozen sleet. Vera shivered, goose bumps rising on her skin. It was almost pitch black outside. Nearly all the firelights were out, the rain too intense. Harsh winds blew, sending the rain across the veranda and into her room.

'Yoshimitsu…' the woman suddenly felt a bit worried. 'How long was I asleep? What time is it?'

She slid the door shut to her room, the rain pelting against the rice paper windows. Lightning flashed, lighting up the world like daylight. Vera turned, heading back for her bed for another cup of warm tea.

"Ah!" She jumped, her hand on her chest.

A man stood on the opposite side of her room. He wore a mask, one with only holes for the eyes, it being too dark giving them the appearance of only black pupils. It was pale white with no other facial features. At her scream, the man held his hands out. He looked around awkwardly.

"You scared me." She sighed. "You need to learn to knock…" Vera smiled.

He stood there, watching her.

"I'm glad to see you're okay." Vera looked around, she felt uncomfortable for some reason. "When did you get in?"

He didn't say anything, shrugging a bit.

"What's wrong?" Vera gave him a suspicious look. "You changed." She scrutinized his outfit and new mask. "But I guess I would too. It's really coming down out there!"

He nodded.

"Is that a new mask? Or another one of your old ones? Part of your costume collection?" She smirked.

The man only bobbed his head up and down. He stepped forward, reaching out to her.

"Yoshimitsu…are you feeling alright?" She fidgeted awkwardly, hesitating to take his gloved hand.

'Right hand…' Vera thought momentarily. She thought it weird that she had noticed something like that. Vera brought her eyes up to look at the man's masked face.

"How was the mission?" Vera asked.

The man ignored her. He snatched up her hand and tugged her toward him roughly.

'Yoshimitsu's left handed!' Vera grabbed the man's left hand and squeezed. He watched her intently. Vera gasped, feeling soft skin and bone. It wasn't like Yoshimitsu's robotic hand. 'Not him!'

"Let me go." Vera stated weakly. He shook his head from side to side, running a finger across her cheek. She felt uncomfortable under his black eyed stare. "Please, Yoshimitsu…" she pleaded.

'This isn't him! He isn't like this…' Vera swallowed hard. She pulled away roughly and backed away from the man, watching him warily.

He stared at her. He looked at the ground, his fists balling. He looked angry, threatening.

"Get out of here!" Vera screamed.

The masked man stepped forward into the light of the fireplace. Vera stepped to the side, looking to see the man's hair. Sure enough, it was dark, very dark.

'Definitely not Yoshimitsu!' the woman whimpered.

Vera turned, pulling the door open. Two rough hands grabbed her shoulders pulling her back into the room.

"Let me go!" Vera screamed. "HELP!" she screeched loudly as he shoved her against the wall with one hand and slammed the door shut with his other.

Vera watched him, breathing heavily. His pale porcelain face tilted, watching her like a bird of prey. He was tall, but not as tall as Yoshimitsu.

"You're not Yoshimitsu…" she stammered quietly.

"It's been a long time since a woman's denied me…" the man grabbed Vera's arms. "I wasn't pleased with that this afternoon."

"Dai…Daisuke?" Vera whispered.

"I don't ask for much…" he ran his hand over the woman's neck and collar bone.

"Get off me!" she shoved against him, pushing him away. Vera sidestepped and darted across the room toward the other door. Daisuke grabbed her once again, tearing away the blankets she had wrapped around her body. Vera screamed as she struggled with him, he pulling on her arms.

"Don't fight with me!" the man shook her, forcing her to look at him.

"Stop it!" She tugged again, pulling an arm free. One of her hands slapped against the man's face. The mask cracked against his cheek and toppled to the ground. Daisuke stared at the mask on the ground in disbelief. He slowly turned his gaze to meet hers, narrowing into a glare.

"Lie down!" The man shouted, backhanding her across her cheek. She yelped, her face burning and feeling like it had exploded. Vera lost her balance, dropping onto the mattress.

Thunder rolled, sounding with the woman's screams.

* * *

"What's going on?" Masumi sat up in bed. "What an awful storm." She yawned loudly. "Not gonna get any sleep now."

"Masumi!" it was a voice from outside her door.

The woman darted to her feet, tearing the door open.

"What is it?" she called out. It was one of the village women who worked in the kitchen, Vera's neighbor.

"I think you better come quickly. I heard some noises. It sounded like someone screaming for help, I'm not sure where it came from…but it sounded close by." The village woman spat out quickly.

"NO!" a loud scream sounded between thunders.

'That was Vera!' Masumi felt her blood run cold.

Masumi didn't wait an instant; she rushed out onto the veranda. There seemed to be a group of people gathering around. One she noticed to be Kagami.

"What the hell's going on!?" Masumi skidded to a halt across the frosty wooden walkway.

"Sounds like someone's getting it rough…" One man stated, laughing.

"Vera is having a late night." Kagami snickered.

"What did you do?" Masumi folded her arms.

"What!? Why do you automatically assume it was me!?" Kagami gasped.

"Because you're the cause of most misery here!" Masumi hissed. Kagami gawked at her.

"Where's Yoshimitsu?" Kagami giggled.

"He's on a mission! Not in there!" Masumi pointed at the door. Why was she wasting her time talking to Kagami?

"He's not!?" Kagami froze.

"What…did…you do!?" Masumi growled at the young woman.

"It wasn't me…Daisuke…Daisuke took our game a little out of control." Kagami stuttered at first. Then a large smile crossed her face. "Sounds like he's having some fun."

"I'll show you fun when I shove my dagger up your ass!" Masumi brought her palm across the woman's face. Kagami cupped her cheek, shocked. "I'll see to it that you take responsibility for your little 'games'!"

"Yoshimitsu!" Vera's voice screamed from within the building.

"Out of my way!" Masumi hollered.

* * *

Yoshimitsu rode at full speed, the rain pelting him like tiny needles. The storm was only getting worse he needed to get back quickly. The mission had taken much longer than he had planned. He hoped Vera hadn't waited up for him.

The horse trudged up to the front gates; they opened quickly to allow him immediate entrance. Yoshimitsu pulled on the reigns, slowing the steed.

"Welcome back, Yoshimitsu." A ninja did his typical clan salute. "We hope the mission was a success."

"Yes, it was. Let's close down for the night, this storm will not be letting up anytime soon."

"Yes sir."

Yoshimitsu looked about the compound, noticing a group of people gathered by the housing. There seemed to be a commotion.

"What's going on over there?" Yoshimitsu studied the site a moment.

"There seems to be a disturbance. I heard there were some screams. Masumi is taking care of the situation." The ninja pointed at the group. "I hope everything is well. It seems it is in the area of where that scientist has been put up."

"Vera?" Yoshimitsu gawked.

"That's right."

"VERA!" Yoshimitsu slapped the reigns, the horse speeding off toward the buildings.

He watched as the people got closer from the distance, thunder growling angrily and rain soaking through his suit. He saw Masumi, she was lecturing Kagami. Then she slapped the woman.

"What's going on!?" Yoshimitsu slowed to a stop, dropping over the side of the steed.

"Yoshimitsu!" it was Vera's voice. The man felt his heart skip a beat. He grabbed the sheath of his sword and took off through the gathering crowd. She had said his name. She was calling out to him. And she sounded so helpless.

"Out of my way!" Masumi screamed, rushing toward the door to Vera's room, as Yoshimitsu dreaded.

He hopped onto the veranda and rushed past Masumi.

"Yoshimitsu!" the woman stumbled as he shoved past her.

The man nearly tore the door from the wall as he pushed through.

The female ninja gaped at the open door momentarily. "Everyone, back to your homes!" Masumi ordered. "None of this is of your business!"

Yoshimitsu stumbled into the dark room, the fireplace light nearly out. The flames danced as the gust of wind rushed through the room, sending shadows skipping across the walls. He saw two silhouettes in the center of the room, struggling. Yoshimitsu didn't hesitate another moment. His mind went a mile a minute, thousands of thoughts plaguing him.

'Bryan Fury!?' this one scared him the most.

Yoshimitsu lunged forward grabbing the man crouching over Vera. In one swift pull he had the man on his feet and thrown against the far wall away from her. Vera darted to the corner of the room, curling into a protective ball.

"…" Yoshimitsu growled angrily, grabbing the man's throat and slamming him against the wall. He narrowed his gaze, glaring at the man with searing hate. Red eyes glowed in the darkness of the room. Lightning flashed, showing the attacker's face.

"Daisuke!!" Yoshimitsu growled angrily, dragging out the vile man's name. This didn't surprise him one bit. Anger boiled within him.

Yoshimitsu tightened his grip, Daisuke gasped for breath, choking. The man struggled with Yoshimitsu, his hands squeezing the ninja's arm. It was solid, unbreakable. Yoshimitsu hissed.

"What do you think you're doing!?" He raised the man off of his feet and stared him down further. Yoshimitsu's face plate lifted into the helmet. He leaned forward, inches away from Daisuke.

"S…she asked me to stop by…" Daisuke lied.

Yoshimitsu looked over his shoulder at Vera. She shivered in the corner of the room, tears stained her cheeks. From where he stood he could see one side of her face slightly puffy and red. Daisuke had hit her. His eyes fell to a porcelain mask on the floor, a pang of both hurt and surprise waved through him. Yoshimitsu tore his head back to look at the disgraceful man. His fury soared only higher.

"You're lucky I don't kill you…" Yoshimitsu stated in a low, serious tone.

He lifted Daisuke with both hands and spun, tossing him across the room toward the front door of the room. Masumi was in the doorway, gaping at the sight. Yoshimitsu strode over to the man on the floor. He grabbed him again and threw him outside over the veranda into the wet, freezing rain. His body collided with the thick mud.

"Everyone return to your homes! Pay no attention to this man! He'll be punished accordingly!" Yoshimitsu's voice boomed over the raging storm. It sent chills through the people's spines. He twisted and returned to Vera's room, closing the door behind him.

"You heard him! MOVE!" Masumi shouted her own anger raging. How she wanted to tear Daisuke into pieces. She had not seen Yoshimitsu so angry in years. Masumi met glances with Kagami. The young woman obviously was thinking the same thing as her.

Yoshimitsu stood by the door, thinking to himself. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. Red eyes followed the trails of floorboards to the mask lying on the floor. He sighed, letting his anger rise and fall between breaths. He knew what the mask was for. Vera had been betrayed. She had left herself open into trusting the masks that Yoshimitsu wore and Daisuke took advantage of that. Yoshimitsu lifted his eyes, but not his head to look at the woman on the floor. Vera had her face covered in her arms that rested on her knees. She shivered like a tiny leaf.

"…" he hesitated to say anything.

Yoshimitsu walked softly across the floor; even then his steps seemed heavy and loud. It seemed so quiet inside the building even though the storm raged on outside. He scooped up a couple of blankets that were carelessly tossed on the ground. Then, he turned to Vera and approached her slowly.

"Vera…" He spoke carefully.

Vera didn't respond. He swallowed thickly, not sure what to do. He didn't want to touch her, scare her. He looked down on her, grateful that she still wore all her clothing, though they were disheveled. He softly wrapped the blankets around her shoulders and crouched beside her.

"Everything's alright…" he murmured.

Vera lifted her head slowly. She wasn't wearing her glasses. He glanced to the side quickly, seeing them lying on the mattress. Her grey eyes were filling with tears. Her loose, curly hair was messy and tangled. Vera's lip trembled as she shivered once again. Yoshimitsu felt himself shudder, his clothing soaked and frozen. He stared at the floorboards.

"Y…Yoshimitsu…" Vera whispered. He lifted his head.

"Are you okay, Vera?" his voice was soft and gentle. "I'm sorry I was late getting back." He fidgeted uncomfortably. "He didn't hurt you? Did he?"

Vera made a soft whimper, her lip quaking. The sight made him sad. He was lucky he arrived when he did. He lowered his head, trying to get a better view of her face.

"Vera?" he whispered.

He stiffened as the woman hopped forward, wrapping her arms around him. She buried her face in his chest armor, not caring how cold and wet it was. Her fingers latched onto him, clawing at the metallic plates. He felt her shake, crying against him. She pushed forward, wanting to be closer.

"Don't cry…" Yoshimitsu brought his arms down to cover her. He repositioned himself to sit on the floor. Vera didn't wait another second, crawling into his lap.

This was not what he expected from Vera. He figured she would want to be left alone, not to be touched or spoken to.

"You're okay…" she murmured against his chest.

"Vera…I'm sorry I wasn't here to help sooner." He barely touched her, scared to.

"Help…" Vera mumbled. He nodded slowly. "Yoshimitsu…"

"Hm?" he looked down at her, staring at the top of her head.

"Hold me." She sobbed, pushing against him.

He did just that, wrapping his arms about her tightly. He grabbed the blankets that had fallen to the floor when she jumped against him. Gently, he laid them over her. Yoshimitsu ran his hand up and down her back, trying to sooth her sobs and shakes.

"I'm all wet…" He mumbled.

"I don't care." She shook her head.

"…Okay…" He spoke softly. He ran his fingers through her hair, combing it.

It didn't take long for Vera to relax. She scooted every now and then, just to try to get closer to him. Yoshimitsu watched her, his mind numb. He had no idea what to do.

'Damn it…' the man sighed.

Vera's fingers climbed under his chest armor in the back, gripping the cloth underneath. It was her way of getting closer, she wanted his armor gone. Yoshimitsu gave a weak smile. He tapped her on the 

shoulder, asking her to get up a second. The woman waited and slowly pushed away after a moment. She refused to look at him.

Yoshimitsu worked quickly, unsnapping the clips and ties. He first removed the heavy shoulder armor, then the gauntlets and finally the chest and abdominal plates. He rested them in front of the fire place, the tiny droplets of rain evaporating under the heat. Luckily his clothes were fairly dry under the armor's cover. Yoshimitsu sat on the ground beside Vera. She leaned forward and he pulled her in, taking her into his lap. Vera instinctively clung to him. She nuzzled against the side of his neck. Yoshimitsu took a deep breath, his heart was beating fast. He wasn't used to things like this.

Vera sighed, releasing the breath she didn't know she was holding. She relaxed and fell loosely against him, turning into dead weight. She took another breath in, sighing quietly. Yoshimitsu had a certain scent. She smiled, thinking about it. He smelled lightly of metal, like copper. Underlying all that was the smell of the outdoors and something that was kind of sweet. She held onto him, not moving and completely at ease.

The two sat in silence. He unconsciously ran his fingertips up and down her back. Vera mumbled something. He looked down seeing she was asleep. Yoshimitsu lowered his head, setting the lips of his mask against the top of her head, planting an invisible kiss. She sighed, grabbing him tighter.

"Are you sleeping?" He asked. His voice was groggy.

She responded with a soft moan.

"Let's get you to bed…" He scooped her into his arms and slowly stood, making his way to her bed. The ninja kneeled on the floor. He began to set her down but her arms only tightened around his neck. "Vera." He sighed.

"Please…" She whispered. For the first time she looked at him, her eyes looked frightened. "It's not that…I just don't want to be alone…" she mumbled. She tore her eyes away, ashamed. "I'm scared."

'Scared…' The man frowned. 'Now she's scared of this place…'

"Alright…" he nodded. Vera released her grip and he set her on the mattress. "Just till you fall asleep. I can't stay here…" He sat next to her, watching.

Vera raised her arms, asking him to lie down beside her. He shook his head from side to side. "Keep me warm?" she asked with a smile on her face. She was feeling better he could tell. And it made him happy, to know that he made her feel better.

"Now, you're just causing trouble…" the man gave a soft laugh.

"You owe me. You didn't take me out for a horse ride." Thunder growled after her statement.

He folded his arms. "And that is why." Then he looked down, remembering something. "I have something for you." He said quietly as he grabbed a tiny pouch attached to his thick, rope-like belt. His 

gloved finger reached into the velvet bag and he pulled out a wooden figurine. He placed it in Vera's hand.

"What is this?" She ran her fingers over the toy. It was shaped like a horse.

"Clydesdale, like my horse." Yoshimitsu pointed at it. "Bought it from one of the little boys in the village. I saw it…and thought of you. I figured the rains would keep us from riding tonight so I brought the horse to you."

"Thank you, Yoshimitsu." Vera smiled, rubbing the wooden item. "It's wonderful!" She gave him a large grin.

"You like it?" He asked hopefully.

"I love it!" She giggled, holding the item against her chest.

"I'm glad it pleases you." The man bowed his head. "It's very late, Vera."

"Just for a while…" Vera sat up, her tone serious. She set the horse figurine on the floor beside the bed and placed her hands on the golden helmet. Yoshimitsu grabbed them quickly watching her warily. "Just the helmet?" she asked. She set her hands in her lap.

Yoshimitsu sat in silence, staring at the designs in his tabi socks. He nodded slowly and then grabbed the helmet. He removed it gradually and set it carefully on the ground. Vera gave him a small smile. She grabbed his arms and tugged him toward her, giggling as he fell forward ungracefully, he made a strange grunt. Vera quickly wrapped the blanket around him and snuggled in against his back. Yoshimitsu allowed her to position him, as long as he could make her happy.

"You are warm…" She muttered, yawning. Yoshimitsu didn't reply. He sat in silence, feeling the warmth her body emanated itself.

It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Yoshimitsu had planned on staying awake, but he lost track of time and with her soothing breathes as she slept, he quickly succumbed to his own slumber.

* * *

Ok ending it here, not quite as long as the last few but it's long enough. If I continued id hafta go on for a while longer and then it'd be too long. Besides I need to sleep, one more class tomorrow! YAY! Anyways, fluff and stuff in this chapter. Nothing graphic, just some typical ego sex crazed man. Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for reading and reviewing on the last chapter! Fluff and stuff on the last one…and a bit more fluff on this one. Was bored, so I started this new chapter early…instead of working on other important things. Thanks for keeping up with me! Hope you all enjoy this new chapter! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 9**

He woke with a stir, sitting up on the floor mat, his heart still beating fast within his chest. Yoshimitsu grabbed the thin cotton shirt sticking to his sweaty flesh. It was another nightmare. About the same as all the others he had been having the past few weeks. His eyes remained closed as he calmed his breathing. Once he opened them a glint of light caught his attention. The Tachi sat across the room in its case, glowing brilliantly in the darkness of his room.

Yoshimitsu watched it carefully. There was a soft music to it, a low hum as it grew brighter and brighter. It called out to him, begged for him to touch it, to hold it in his hands. The man tore his gaze away, breathing in deeply, not realizing he had been holding his breath. The sword was indeed a problem. He had no doubt in his mind that was the cause of his nightmares. It brought the memories of those who were slain by that sword into his dreams. Yoshimitsu had to relive the deaths he had caused his victims. Tonight's was particularly disturbing, it belonging to a former clan member, one who at one point had held a close spot in Yoshimitsu's heart.

'_You loved her…'_ Vera's words echoed in his mind.

"Vera." Yoshimitsu looked to his side. No, Vera was not there. He was in his own room now, changed from his wet uniform. The air was stale and cold, the fire had gone out. This was a drastic change from the warmth in Vera's room.

It had taken much debate on his part to leave Vera's side. He had fallen asleep and lost track of time. The drowsiness had threatened to take over. It took every ounce of his strength to get himself out of the warm bed, gather all his armor and make his way back to his own quarters unnoticed. Vera didn't stir once, much to his relief.

The soft sound of songbirds whistled from outdoors, the rain had finally stopped. Yoshimitsu rubbed his face, groaning. He wiped the sweat on his brow.

"Stop it." The man glared at the vibrant sword. He sighed loudly, rubbing his tired eyes. "Never going to be able to sleep with that thing in the same room as me…"

Then the thought hit him. He slept better than he had in months while he was next to Vera. Even his sword was sitting in the room beside the fireplace.

'Must've been really tired…' he yawned loudly. He turned his head toward the back door. Bright light flooded from beneath the crack. Yoshimitsu had overslept, but then again there was nothing to do today anyways.

He frowned, smelling the musty scent of rainwater on his body.

'Bath…' the man tugged the sheets off his body. He crawled to his feet and stretched, listening to the popping of his joints. He winced, feeling a terrible ache in his left arm. Between the tug of war at the hot springs and the tiff with Daisuke he had pulled something, his arm wasn't fully healed from the fight with Bryan. He shuffled toward the bathroom to wash his face. His hands rubbed the cold water over his features. He gazed at his reflection in the mirror.

'Hello, Yoshimitsu…' The man stared. He tried his hardest to recognize the man looking back at him. It just didn't seem right. He never looked like this, not even when he was young. The medical procedure did make him look younger, but without any flaws or imperfections.

'The way god intended…' Dr. Boskonovitch would say.

'Are you really me?' the man sighed. He stared at his eyes. Those were even different now.

Yoshimitsu walked back to the main room. He opened a glass display case, grabbing his favorite mask with the voice modulator. He slipped it on and walked slowly to the back door, sliding it open and letting in the bright sunlight. The singing birds grew louder.

The ninja took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. He stepped out onto the wooden path and headed for the baths.

* * *

"Vera!" Masumi's voice echoed in the woman's dreams.

'Ugh…Masumi…' Vera groaned, stretching. She rolled over on her mattress and shivered, it was cold and damp. She sat up quickly, yelping. 'NO! I didn't!' The door to her room slid open.

"What's wrong?" Masumi stood with her hands on her hips.

"My bed…It's wet…" Vera mumbled, staring at the spot beside her. She ran her hands up and down the mattress. It was wet in areas covering the whole length.

"Well, it was raining last night." Masumi yawned loudly. "Didn't get hardly any sleep."

'Last night…' Vera frowned, suddenly remembering. She stared at her mattress, a sheepish smile on her lips. Yoshimitsu must've been wet from the rain. 'How long did he stay with me?'

"Speaking of last night and not getting any sleep. How are you doing?" Masumi asked, suddenly serious.

"Oh. I'm fine." She whispered.

"Lucky for Yoshimitsu to show up. I'd never seen him so angry in years."

"He was angry?" Vera crawled out of bed. She hid the blush on her cheeks.

"You didn't notice when he threw Daisuke's ass out into the rain?" the older woman laughed. She chewed on a long cookie stick. It was like the pocky everyone ate back in the city.

"Oh yes. I remember that, and the sound of his body hitting the wall very hard." Vera smirked.

"That too." Masumi nodded. "But Daisuke is also lucky Yoshimitsu showed up when he did."

"Why is that?"

"I was ready to kill him." Masumi glowered.

"Yoshimitsu is too kind for his own good, isn't he?" Vera sighed. She folded the blankets on her bed.

"It's going to only get him into trouble." Masumi shook her head, her long ponytail swayed from side to side. She looked like a little kid with the sweet sticking out of her mouth.

"I should probably thank him." Vera mumbled, messing with her hair before the mirror. She frowned at the tangles in her hair and bags under her eyes.

Masumi giggled.

"What?" Vera gave her a suspicious look.

"I think you gave him enough thanks last night." Masumi grinned.

"What do you mean? He…we didn't do anything!" Vera shouted.

"Sure, sure. He was only hurrying away only a few hours ago to his own room, all his armor in hand." Masumi winked at her. "I'm jealous!"

"You don't expect him to sleep in that armor do you!?" Vera talked with her hands waving in the air.

"So he did sleep with you!" Masumi giggled gleefully, hopping up and down.

"NO!" Vera screamed. "Well, I mean…he slept. But that's all!"

"Wore him out, didn't you." Masumi teased.

"Masumi!" Vera launched a pillow at the other woman. "Keep your mouth shut or I'm going to shut it for you!"

Masumi only laughed in her face.

"You're horrible, you know that?" Vera sulked. She stared out the window. "What time is it anyway?"

"Well past lunch. It'll be dark soon! You're good at sleeping in, I'll give you that." She tapped her toe on the ground. "I'm going out to train for a while. You wanna tag along?" Her eyes fell on Vera's head. "Actually, you should bathe, your hairs a mess!"

"It is!?" Vera groaned.

"We should get together tonight. Some of us are going to play a game by the campfire." Masumi waved a hand at Vera. "Bring that man of yours. He needs to get out more." She left in a hurry.

"He's not my man!" Vera shouted. "Oh! Masumi!" she growled in irritation.

Vera gathered her things and went out for a quick bath. Her water was freezing and she had barely any shampoo left. And to make things worse she had forgotten her towel inside her room, which means she would have to run back to her room, wet, in the cold, and in the nude. She talked out loud to herself as she tugged on the tangles in her hair.

"Stupid! Daisuke! Stupid! Ugh! Hair!" she clenched her teeth as a few combs in her brush broke off and flew across the room as she cut through a nasty knot. She set the brush atop the fireplace, staring at reflection.

'I really should apologize for last night. That was selfish of me. I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable.' Vera thought to herself.

* * *

Twigs snapped and leaves rustled on the forest floor. Invisible bodies awaited in the trees, watching the invisible village. Branches swayed, scaring away all the birds and the squirrels. It was deathly silent, not even the falling leaves made a sound.

"_Time: 14:00. Night fall: approx. 18:00. Keep all eyes and ears open. This is not a drill."_ A robotic voice whispered in all ears.

"_Wait for command before attacking." _

The forest was silent. The forest waited for the darkness to come. Then, it would be able to make noise.

* * *

"Yoshimitsu?" Vera's voice was quiet as she tapped her knuckles against the door. There was no response. She fidgeted uncomfortably, wary of any eyes that stared at her.

"Yoshimitsu!?" She called out again, still, no response. 'Surely he's not still sleeping…'

Vera tapped her pointer fingers together, thinking. She took a deep breath and cracked the door open slowly.

"Yoshimitsu?" She called out again. Silence welcomed her.

Vera slid through the small crack in the door. She pinched her lip between her teeth, looking around the room.

"It's like a museum…" she gaped. The room was quite large, about twice the size of hers. It was neatly decorated and the bed looked much fancier than hers. "Five-star…" The fire had been put out, the temperature of the room much cooler than comfort would allow. The only light in the room came from the light from beneath the doors and through the windows. She narrowed her eyes, walking up to the glass cabinets.

"These are his costumes…" She beamed. She rocked back and forth on her heels with excitement.

Inside each individual glass case was a free standing body of armor, each as detailed and fantastic as the last. She stood before one suit, gawking. It was all metallic armor. It shined in the case the color of a white-silver. Atop the helmet was a long ponytail of red hair. Next to that was another suit, less armor and more human in appearance. A large, round, flat hat set atop a demonic face mask. Vera traveled the cases one by one, astonished by the many alternate egos Yoshimitsu had. One in particular caught her eye. The outfit's armor was divided up by each muscular group. The back she could see showed the individual vertebrae. Holding everything into place was a form fitting, skin tight suit giving the appearance of muscle tissue. Vera was amazed at the advancement from the last suits to this one. The mask was much like the one he wore today. Like an alien creature. It covered his entire head and face rather than being divided into two parts, facemask and helmet. Vera ran her fingers over the glass; it had been smashed, large cracks covering the face of the case. Vera frowned; this suit obviously had a bad past, and she could probably guess which story it belonged to. She walked further along the wall; the next suit was a drastic change. It had a skull face with bright yellow eyes. The back was equipped with giant wings. The helmet had horns much like a beetle. This costume took the appearance of an insect.

'Yoshimitsu can fly…' Vera gave a small smile. 'Maybe someday I'll make him fly me over the city.'

The next case held his traditional suit she had seen him wear. Inside held only the armor, the rest of the uniform gone. Beside that case was a new suit. She hadn't seen this one before. It was very similar to the last one, except there was no helmet. It looked thicker and heavier. She imagined Yoshimitsu only looked more terrifying in that suit. In the case, beside the suit, were two swords. They matched the make and style of that particular suit. Vera wondered to herself why he never used those weapons. And next to that was another blank case, perhaps waiting for a newer suit.

"He's got more outfits than I do…" Vera mumbled.

She gazed around the room. There were a lot more to look at, some costumes were much older than the last one she looked at she could tell. Vera shrugged. She'd have to take a better look at them later when 

there was better light, besides, she'd want Yoshimitsu to tell her the story for each one. Vera made her way to the back door. She stared at it momentarily and then made a scared face.

'Bath!' She frowned.

* * *

Yoshimitsu breathed slowly. He took his stance and practiced, like he did every morning. The air was chilly, but refreshing. He spun sending his fist through the air, his leg kicking high afterward. He let out low calls as he released his energy. Leaves twirled about his feet as he did his routine. The trickle of the small waterfall and the soft hiss of the gentle breeze were soothing. Yoshimitsu continued his dance, moving his body and testing his flexibility. He spun again, swiftly pulling out his weapon. He sliced with it, his eyes closed, enjoying the peaceful afternoon. He cut back behind him and pulled the weapon back across his body, twisting around. He froze, slowly opening his eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, staring at the green glow of his blade.

"Yes." Vera's voice responded.

"You found my hideout." He said with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Sorry. I was looking for you. Luckily, you weren't in the baths." She breathed a nervous laugh.

Yoshimitsu sheathed his sword. He turned around, tightening his belt. "Just waking up?"

"A bit ago." She nodded.

"You city people like to sleep in late." He looked up at the sun in the sky.

"If I have nothing to wake up for," She shrugged. "Then I end up staying in bed too late."

"Nothing to wake up for?" He cocked his head to the side and stuck his hands on his hips. "This isn't worth waking up to?" he held out his arms, looking about the scenery.

"I guess it is. I'm just not used to it yet." Vera felt embarrassed. He gave her an accusing look. "Ok! Fine! I'm a bum, alright!"

He cupped his hands together feeling at ease. Yoshimitsu watched the trickling water of the small pond beside him.

"How long have you been awake?" Vera walked to his side.

"To be honest, not very long." He stated, watching the koi swim through the waters. He held his breath, waiting for her accusations.

"And you try to make me feel bad." Vera scoffed. Surprisingly, she didn't give him as much a hard time as he thought. She kneeled beside the pool, smiling at the fish. "You have your own little pond. How cute."

"Cute…" Yoshimitsu sighed. He kneeled beside her. They sat like that for a minute. "Denji…" he pointed suddenly at a fish with spots. Vera stared at the fish. "Haru…" another one. "Hitomi…" one with blue eyes. "Ren…" One that sat by the lotus flower. Vera looked up at the man.

"You've named your fish?" Vera smiled.

"Yes, of course." He nodded. Then he looked down at her. "What's wrong with naming my fish?"

"Nothing! I didn't say it was wrong." She giggled.

"Then why do you laugh?" He rested his arms on his knees.

"It's just cute…" She shook her head.

"Cute…" he repeated the word like it was poison.

Yoshimitsu lifted his finger again pointing at the largest bullfrog Vera had ever seen. "Rupert."

"Rupert!?" She giggled again, holding her fingers against her lips. "Why does he get that name?"

Yoshimitsu shrugged. "I heard it once and I liked it. Besides…he looks like a Rupert."

"That he does." She agreed. "Wait…"

"Hm?"

"Where'd he come from? There isn't a large body of water for miles around here!" Vera exclaimed. She stared at the frog, who seemed to be staring right back at her. It made a low croak.

"He came along a few weeks ago. He lives here all alone. He's the only frog. He lives in the pool with the koi." Yoshimitsu stuck his finger in the water, wiggling it.

"That's amazing. And the koi don't mind?" Vera rested her chin on her knees.

"They don't mind." The fish with blue eyes, Hitomi, nibbled on his finger. Vera could tell Yoshimitsu was smiling. "There are plenty of bugs to eat. And if they ever need protecting, Rupert helps them. They let him swim around with them, as long as he doesn't run into them, or get too close to Ren's flower."

"Ren get's jealous?"

"That's Ren's flower." Yoshimitsu nodded.

"I see." Vera smiled. Yoshimitsu must watch these fish and Rupert daily.

"Rupert never leaves. He's been here every day since the first day I met him. He may be different, but this is his home. The fish, I think, like his company." The man continued playing with the fish in the water, wiggling his fingers and poking them randomly.

'Just like you, Yoshimitsu. You are like this frog, because you are different.' She continued watching the man.

The two sat in silence, watching the fish for quite a long time. They took turns poking them and flicking beetles into the water for them and fat Rupert to eat. Vera shivered and noticed the sun falling toward the horizon. The day had gone by so quickly and she felt it odd to have spent it staring at nothing but fish. She sighed, looking back at the man. Her eyes fell onto his outfit. It looked very different without the massive armor. The top was tight, showing off his real musculature. Yoshimitsu gave a sideways grin, feeling her eyes burning into him. Was she admiring him?

"You know, I noticed something about the armor you wear." She spoke up.

"My armor?" he sat back, sitting meditative style.

"It looks like something a samurai would wear." She looked at the style of his pants. "Do you ever wear a traditional ninja uniform?"

"I did all the time in the past, when I was young, about your age." He nodded. Vera wrinkled her nose at his statement. "It was a lot lighter and much kinder to the body." He chuckled. "But it did not provide much protection. Once I became leader of the clan, I had to take care of much more dangerous missions. The clan's safety is put before my own. In order to stay strong to fight, I also needed good defense. That's why I wear the armor. You get used to it after a while."

"I see." Vera nodded. She turned her attention back to the trickling waterfall beside a full, floating Rupert.

"My father…" Yoshimitsu said softly, interrupting the silence. "He was trained in the way of the samurai when he was young. His father before him was also samurai. As my father got older, the ways of the samurai was coming to an end. He joined the Manji clan, needing the discipline. He knew of nothing else and had no idea what to do with his life. He met my mother." He rubbed the back of his head, roughing up his hair. "At that time, the Manji didn't have to go into hiding. We had a huge village full of many people. People from near and far lived and trained with us. When I was older training within the clan he also taught me the things he learned growing up."

"Is that why you're so calm compared to everyone else?" Vera lifted an eyebrow.

"That's just me." The man gave a low laugh. "I wasn't always this calm."

"Really?" Vera leaned forward. "You were wild when you were young, weren't you?"

"Wild?" the man gave a guilty laugh. "You could say that."

"I can only imagine." Vera rolled her eyes.

"I caused many pains for my mother and father." He chuckled. "All the trouble I got myself into. I was a rebel."

"I bet."

"Had long hair."

"Long hair?"

"Long, bright red hair…" he shook his head. Vera gasped loudly. "Horrible idea. Horrible bet."

"A bet!?" Vera giggled. She scooted closer to him, wanting to hear more. "I didn't think you'd be one for betting, Yoshimitsu."

"At one point I was the richest man in the clan. A week later, I was the poorest."

"How awful!" she waved a finger at him.

"But things changed." He lowered his head, tugging on a few blades of dead grass.

"They changed?"

"After my father died."

Vera frowned, feeling sad.

"When he died, I had to take charge, be more serious. Take care of mom. She didn't last much longer after him. I found his old armor in a trunk up in the attic of our home. That was when I began modeling my armor after his. Until it looks as it does now." He stood, brushing off his pants. "But that is all in the past."

He held out his hand to help Vera to her feet.

"Haven't really told anyone that story either…" he muttered.

"I'm just learning a lot about you, aren't I?" Vera tapped him on the shoulder.

"Much more than I had originally planned." He kicked at a pebble on the ground.

"Originally planned!? That's not fair!" she huffed.

"Speaking of learning." He changed the subject. "How's Masumi's training?"

"Oh. It's going alright. I can throw a shuriken now! And I've been learning daggers. I've become quite deadly the last couple of days." She nodded quickly, her long curls shaking with her head. She gave him a large grin, one that reminded him too much of Masumi.

"What about hand to hand?" the man asked.

"Um…she hasn't taught me any ninja fighting…" Vera suddenly felt nervous.

"Hm…" he thought, humming to himself. "Perhaps I can teach you a few basics."

"Are you guys trying to turn me into a killing machine?" Vera folded her arms. "I'm not very good at this type of stuff. I'm not very athletic. Haven't done anything since high school."

"You're stalling." He tapped his foot.

"I know." She hung her head.

"Come on…" He held out his arm.

"What are you teaching me?" She asked.

"Try to attack me. I'll see what you're capable of and then we'll start from there."

"You want me to attack you?" Vera snorted. He only nodded. "You want me to try and hurt you? But what if I really do?"

"I doubt you can." He said, lifting his head to look down on her.

"What!? Someone thinks highly of himself!" Vera placed her fists on her hips.

'She's a fireball…' Yoshimitsu smirked.

"Ok! But you watch out! You get hurt, it's not my fault!" she pointed.

"Are you done talking yet?" He sighed, staring at his gloved fingernails.

"Oh!" Vera growled.

The woman made an irritated sound and balled her fists. Without another word she swung forward, trying to hit him. He stepped back, laughing at her.

"You laughed!" She gasped, now seriously getting frustrated. 'I'm gonna get him!' She glowered.

Vera hopped forward, sending her shoulder into his chest. He didn't budge.

'Juke! Juke!' she thought about the football games her father always watched. The players would turn at the last minute around the other players.

She pushed away from Yoshimitsu, who was standing and watching her with great disinterest, and twirled around him. Vera was now behind the man.

'That was different…' Yoshimitsu waited to see what she'd do.

"Rawwr!!" The woman let out a nasty holler and next thing he knew she was on his back, stuck to him like a leech.

"What are you doing?" He asked, hunched over.

"Taking…eh…you down!" She struggled, wiggling on top of him.

Yoshimitsu yawned, leaning forward with his hands on his hips.

"What's your next move?" He looked at her over his shoulder. His nonchalance was only making her angrier, and her anger was only tickling him more.

"Why aren't you doing anything!?" Vera growled.

"I'm just sizing you up, seeing what you've got." He shrugged, Vera lifting with his shoulders.

"Ooh!" She snarled at the man. Vera kicked her feet back and forth in fury, one foot hitting the back of Yoshimitsu's knee just right.

'Ow.' The man grunted, losing his balance. He fell forward, Vera plopping onto the ground from over his shoulder. Leaves swirled around her upon impact.

"Ouch!" Vera sat there a minute, stunned. 'Did he just throw me over his shoulder!?'

"You alright?" He asked with concern.

"You did that on purpose!" Vera rose to her feet, pointing an accusing finger at the man. Yoshimitsu stared over his shoulder ignoring her and staring at the back of his knee.

'She actually hit me good…' He pondered.

Vera darted forward, now really angry. She ran into him again and tried to push him. He grabbed her arms and spun her around, holding them down in front of her by her waist. He wasn't concerned with her being especially dangerous or he would've held them behind her back and Vera knew this.

"Yoshimitsu!" She strung out a few swear words, wiggling to free herself. Her foot stomped on his. He leaned forward against her back, towering over her.

"You have an interesting fighting style." He muttered in her ear.

"I'm gonna get you!" She hissed. She somehow pulled her skinny arms out of his and grabbed his left arm and tugged it over her shoulder, as if trying to flip him over her back like he did her. His elbow popped. Yoshimitsu groaned.

There was a short pain in his arm. It reminded him of his injuries that were still trying to heal. He looked down at it. The muscles must've been torn again after the tug of war in the hot springs the day before. Vera, Masumi and Jiro had done a number on him. And the mission from last night didn't allow him to rest like he should have. But he wasn't going to let a little pain get in the way of his current battle. Vera tugged again, over and over to no avail. So she turned around and kept her foot on his and pulled all her weight against him.

'Ow! Ow!' Yoshimitsu winced, the joint popping again where Dr. Boskonovitch had operated only a few days ago. He stumbled forward, trying to stay upright, but Vera's foot stayed planted on his.

"AH!" the woman screamed as she felt herself falling backwards onto the ground, Yoshimitsu coming right toward her.

The two crashed onto the ground in heavy heaps. Vera closed her eyes and made a squeak, waiting for his body weight to crush her. Surprisingly, he wasn't that heavy. She slowly opened her eyes; he was right above her, staring at her. She saw his black eyes shift from side to side, and then his red pupils stared into hers. The two were breathing heavily.

"…Um…did I hurt you?" Vera asked.

He only stared back at her. "Did I?" he answered her with another question.

She smiled, looking away. "No."

There was a long, awkward silence. A chilly breeze curled around them. Yoshimitsu instinctively pulled closer to keep the harsh cold from reaching Vera. She watched him, wide eyed. He had stayed on top of her for far too long, she was too aware of their position. She could feel his leg between hers. His arms were on either side of her head, holding his body up. She watched his chest rise and fall. Yoshimitsu was thinking the same thing as her.

'Move it, you idiot…' Yoshimitsu began to push off. It was too late. He was caught in a trap.

Vera's hands cupped his masked face. Yoshimitsu froze like a deer in headlights.

"I'm sorry for last night." She stared at his mechanical eyes.

"Last night was not your fault." He swallowed hard. Suddenly, it was very hard to breathe with the mask on.

"I mean, about after all that. Making you stay with me." Her voice was so quiet.

"Oh…" His eyes darted to the side. "If it made you happy…"

Vera smiled. "It did."

"It did?" He glanced to the other side. "Oh…"

She moved beneath him, getting more comfortable. He felt her knee rise against the inside of his thigh.

"Perhaps I should move now." He stated quickly. Yoshimitsu began to rise again.

"Um…" Vera grabbed his shoulders, halting him.

Another long and awkward silence followed.

Yoshimitsu sighed. "Vera…" He gave a warning tone. Then he lifted his head, pulling away. He looked from side to side frantically. He sat up onto his knees.

"What?" Vera lifted herself to rest on her elbows.

Yoshimitsu leapt to his feet and he took off toward his room. "Vera, get somewhere safe!" He called out. "Hurry!" he was gone.

"What!? What's going on!?" She got to her feet. She waited, a cold breeze wrapped around her as the sun fell below the horizon.

Then, alarms went off, awful, blaring, loud alarms. They rang and clanged, alerting the entire village. Vera felt chills run down her spine. In seconds there was the sound of screaming and hurried footsteps all over the encampment.

'_BAM, BAM, BAM!'_ and then there was gunfire. The Manji Clan was being attacked.

* * *

Ok going to have to end it here for tonight. It's shorter, but I wanted to leave on a more exciting note. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! -Annubis


	10. Chapter 10

Well, I originally was planning on making this a shorter story…seems I've gotten carried away. I wasn't planning on go any more than ten chapters. OH well! There's plenty more! Enjoy! Warning: there's some violence in this chapter! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 10**

'Zaibatsu Military!' Vera gasped. She darted to the open door of Yoshimitsu's small home. The woman popped her head through the door to catch a glimpse of the frantic action outside.

Manji ninja covered the field. It was a battle of projectile weaponry, bullets, shuriken, and daggers being thrown through the air. The sound was atrocious, louder than the thunderstorm from the night before. Vera covered her head as a bullet ricocheted beside her. She fell back into the room.

"This is awful! How'd they find this place!?" Vera tried to ease her breathing. She closed her eyes, listening to the terrible sounds outside. There was a blood curdling scream. Vera winced at the nightmarish sound.

Automatic gunfire blasted from nearby. They were shooting at the homes, destroying them like a hurricane. Splintering wood exploded, families who couldn't fight shrieked and ran out the back toward the safety of the forest.

"I have to do something…" Vera looked around, what could she do? She was least likely to hold her own than the ones who had already run away.

Her eyes fell on an open case within the room. Yoshimitsu had grabbed all his armor from the case. Vera sighed; thanking God he had taken the time to quickly protect himself. Then she noticed the case beside it with the two long blades that Yoshimitsu never seemed to use. She shoved away from the wall and tugged on the door, trying to open it. It didn't budge. There was a lock mechanism that required Yoshimitsu's voice to activate it.

"Damn!" Vera slapped the glass. She looked about the room for anything to throw at it, but then she remembered the cracked container. Yoshimitsu had hit it and if he couldn't even break the glass, there was no way she'd be able to.

"Mom!?" A familiar voice sounded from outside.

'Oda!' Vera gasped, turning her head toward the sound. She ran to the door and looked out onto the veranda. Oda was running about, unaware of the soldier sneaking up behind him. The boy was next her room. He looked frightened, separated from his mother.

"Oda!" Vera sprinted out toward the boy. He reached up for her, tears in his eyes. She snatched him up and pulled him inside the room beside her.

"Halt!" The soldier shouted. He raised his weapon and followed after them.

Vera didn't listen. She set the boy down, he ran to the back bathroom area as every home was equipped with a cubby hole in the floor of the washroom. Her hands grabbed the giant mirror above the fireplace. Twisting, she brought the mirror around and down with a loud crash on top of the soldier's head just as he entered the room. He toppled to the ground with a low grunt. Vera took off around the corner and came to an abrupt halt, face to face with the barrel of an HK MP5.

"Oh…" She stared.

"Don't move." The soldier watched her. "You're one of the targets!" He reached for his radio.

Something dropped silently behind the man.

"Sir! I have detected-GAH!" The man choked on his own words as a dagger flew into the back of his neck. He heavily dropped to the floor.

"You alright?" Masumi stood a few yards away. Vera nodded quickly. "Where's Oda?" She looked from side to side; the attention was on her now. Multiple soldiers began to surround her.

"He's hiding." Vera said quickly. She stared at the dead soldier beside her feet.

"You best do that too." Masumi mumbled. She kept her eye on the two soldiers in front of her. They had their weapons drawn and pointed at the female ninja.

'This isn't good…' Vera ground her teeth together.

Masumi ducked just as bullets sped toward her. She rolled, throwing a few shuriken. They stuck in the chests of the two before her. She pushed to her feet, walloping one across the face as she pulled out her second dagger and slit his throat. She rolled across his falling body and grabbed the other frantically shooting soldier's arm, twisting it backward and sending him over her back and crashing to the ground. She then stabbed him in the lower back. More were coming, fast. Masumi lifted her arm, throwing the dagger across the veranda into another soldier. She was now unarmed.

'Damn it!' She narrowed her eyes, feeling the presence of someone directly behind her.

"Nice try…" The solider laughed. His weapon clicked loudly beside her ear as he reloaded.

Vera had spaced out. She didn't know what to do. And now, her body was moving on its own. She leaned forward and tore the weapon from the soldier's neck. She pulled back and let it fly.

'Oh god!' She watched shocked at what she had just done.

The blade flew through the air. It wedged itself just below the soldier's sternum. Masumi leapt over him, putting his head in a lock and twisting, snapping his neck.

"Nice shot!" Masumi looked up at Vera, giving her a quick nod. Vera wobbled on her feet, uneasy.

The ninja turned around, hearing a scream from a familiar voice. She left without another word to help her comrades. Vera stumbled against the wall, watching.

"I…I helped kill someone…" She mumbled. It felt weird to think thoughts such as these. Her eyes watched the ninja.

"Kagami!" Masumi dropped to her knees. "What happened to you!?"

"There's too many…" Kagami gasped, holding onto her stomach. There was a bullet wound and blood seeped from it like a faucet.

"You're going to be fine! I'm going to get you some help!" Masumi reassured the small woman beside her.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Masumi…" The young woman stuttered.

Masumi ignored her, lifting her from the ground.

"You…You didn't deserve that." Kagami whispered to herself.

Masumi hurried toward the infirmary area. She hoped that the medics were able to get to safety.

"If you don't stop talking, you're going to die." Masumi spat. "But then again…" she shrugged.

"You're…so mean." Kagami whimpered.

Vera stared. It was amazing the team work these people had. On their days off you would never be able to tell that this was their lifestyle. It was common to be able to attack and kill people. It was their life to be able to go into battle on a split-seconds notice. The woman placed her hand on her forehead. It was so loud. There was so much chaos. She couldn't make anything out.

"I'm going to get you for that…" A low male voice sounded from beside the woman. Vera looked to the side. The soldier she had smacked in the head with the mirror had just woken up. He was trudging out onto the veranda beside her, rubbing his head. "I don't care who you are…I'm not letting you off the hook." He turned his head, glaring at her through his goggles. He held his weapon loosely in his hand, tapping it against his thigh.

"I…Um…" Vera stammered. She began walking backward, trying to devise an escape plan. Sadly, she forgot about the body lying on the floor beside her. She yelped, tripping over it and falling hard on her backside over the body and onto the wooden floor. She stared up at the solider, fear in her eyes.

"All they said was they needed you alive…" He raised his weapon. "Doesn't mean I can't still shoot you."

She watched as he aimed at her head.

'Last I heard…head shots killed people…' Vera froze. The barrel lowered to the left. 'Ah…my shoulder…' She tensed, waiting. His finger twitched, pulling on the trigger. Vera slammed her eyes shut.

'BAM BAM BAM' the weapon fired multiple times and it kept going. Vera opened her eyes, not feeling a thing. The soldier was screaming, a glowing sword through his middle. Vera recognized that sword. She also recognized the arm that was holding up the soldier's, preventing him from firing at Vera. The gun went silent, all thirty shots expired. The sword was pulled backward from the man's body. His wrist was snapped, broken. The MP5 clattered to the floor. He was then lifted and tossed over the side of the veranda with ease. Yoshimitsu stood in the soldier's place; he turned his attention to the woman on the floor.

"I thought I told you to go somewhere safe." Yoshimitsu folded his arms.

"I was…then Oda was in trouble so I came out here. I killed someone! I, Masumi…and then Kagami, but he…oh yeah the mirror." Vera rambled nervously. Yoshimitsu leaned back, looking into her bedroom. He noticed the broken glass on the floor.

"You go back, find a safe place to hide. You hear me?" His gloved fingers wiped at the blood soiling his weapon. "This isn't over yet." The man hopped over the side and he took off toward the center of battle.

"Yoshimitsu!" Jiro ran up to the leader.

"What's our status?" Yoshimitsu dodged a flying bullet.

"Not good sir. It seems our camo's been taken down. And they keep coming in. We had no sign of them. Suddenly, the forest was full of them, hundreds! They must've had some type of fiber-optic suits. As soon as they appeared, our defenses were down." The man explained in a hurry, hiding behind a tree by the entrance.

"I can't use my suit." Yoshimitsu messed with the mechanisms on his helmet. "It seems they have some sort of jammers." Yoshimitsu looked upward at the trees in the forest. He raised a hand. "Jiro."

"Yes sir?"

"You take Keiji. There seems to be many things that don't belong in those trees out there."

Jiro lifted his head, smiling. "You're right sir, I'll gather Keiji. We'll take care of them for you." Jiro leapt from behind the tree. He whistled, alerting his teammate close by. He made a few hand signals and off the two went, over the fence and into the forest.

Yoshimitsu zoomed in on a branch. He could see soldiers in ghillie suits. Beside them were mechanical devices.

'Jammers.' Yoshimitsu shook his head. 'That explains why they can't use their own optical camo.'

He waited for only a second more and his suit began operating normally.

'Just like Jiro to work fast…' Yoshimitsu smirked. His suit gave a familiar hum, sending him into invisibility. 'Now I have to work fast…'

Yoshimitsu began his mission; get rid of every military soldier still standing. He looked over the battlefield. He had already been detected by three soldiers on the right, four on the left, and two from the front. They were talking on their radios. Soon, he'd have the whole force to deal with. Now with the jammers taken care of, they would also be able to use their own stealth equipment, which he was sure they had some fancy technology. He'd have to turn on the heat vision soon. Roughly, fifty men had already been taken out. Approximately another 60 were being taken care of at the front and center of the complex. He had no idea how many were battling out back. That left him with at least thirty for himself at the moment, until backup arrived. Then, things would have to get messy.

'Go…' He chanted in his head.

He started to the left first. His path of choice was running along the wall, dodging their bullets. He sidestepped and leapt onto the wall. He pushed off and spiraled toward his enemy, slicing through the man. He didn't halt turning and slicing down the back of the other and impaling the third. He pulled the blade out of the soldier's body and cut upward and to the side along the torso of the last one on his right side. Yoshimitsu pushed forward, the other men moving in quickly.

He ran to where he came, the two that were in the front chasing his invisible form. Yoshimitsu ran and planted his feet along the trunk of a tree. He swooped up into the air, dropping down on one militant, the sword cutting through his collarbone. He kicked the other to set him off balance, grabbed his helmet and, with his elbow, snapped his neck.

New bullets alerted his attention. The right flank had arrived. Yoshimitsu ran straight toward them, the men slowed to a halt and fired their weapons. The ninja twisted and turned, the bullets flying by him, some hitting his armor. The sparks of ricocheted ammo alerted the men of his position. They formed a strategic line, two kneeling and the third maintaining his position. They all fired, directly at him. Yoshimitsu gave them some credit. Their eyes worked well.

'Not well enough.' He darted to the side and dropped carefully to the ground as to not stir any leaves.

"Where!? Where'd he go!?" the men held their fire, looking around. All about, chaos ensued.

"Switch to thermal." One man grumbled. Their hands pressed the buttons on the side of their goggles simultaneously. Slowly their vision flowed into bright colors of red, orange and blues. "Where is he?" the man looked down, finding that the two men kneeling beside him were lying incapacitated in the dirt. Before he could make another sound, two hands gripped under his shoulders and he was sent flying into the air, arms wrapping around him. He then spiraled downward, headfirst into the ground.

Yoshimitsu watched the body slump to the soil, not moving. He had taken out those men with some ease. Now, backup was moving in. He could tell, because it was too silent around him. Yoshimitsu switched to thermal. The scenery became alive with bright colors. He walked slowly, resting his blade on his shoulder.

'A group of ten by the housing development. Six more to the side by the lab.' His eyes rotated to the side, left and right. 'Four in the tree on the left. Five, right. One…' He stopped, popping his neck. '…from behind.'

His left hand twirled the blade downward from his shoulder, his elbow extended and he brought the blade clean through the stalking soldier's gut. There was a soft moan and then a squeak as Yoshimitsu tugged the blade outward, dribbles of blood plopping across the orange and brown leaves on the floor. He listened to the sound of the body hitting the ground.

'More…' He stared at the blood. 'I want more…' He noticed the glow of the blade growing brighter. 'blood…' his hand gripped the hilt of the sword tightly.

With the speed of a demon he tore off to the side. He hopped into the air. His hand gripped one soldier by the throat, frightening all the others hiding in the tree with him. The man flew into the air, scrambling and kicking his feet. He dropped his gun. It fell, hitting each branch on the way down. The other soldiers fired, bullets tearing into the trunk of the tree. Down came the solider, falling all the way to the ground from the very tip top of the tree. He hit hard, the ground vibrating from the contact.

"Where is he!?"

"I can't see him!"

"This is impossible! Our thermal!" One by one, their screens began to fuzz and distort.

Jiro watched, laughing from the forest. Keiji who sat beside him fiddled with a screwdriver inside one of the machines. "Show those bastards to jam our equipment. Let's make this a bit more interesting." Jiro chuckled.

"Yoshimitsu's secure." Keiji clapped his hands together as he closed the lid to the small machine.

"Good, let's get in there and help." Jiro patted the man on the shoulder. The two dropped silently to the ground and entered the encampment once again.

One by one the soldiers fell from the tree on the left. Some had limbs missing, others broken bones. The branches swung as Yoshimitsu leapt off of the tree. Leaves kicked up around his feet as he landed.

"Watch the leaves!" the soldiers in the second tree opened fire.

'I'm sorry, my friend. You've had a long life. I apologize for ending it.' Yoshimitsu stared at the trunk of the tree. It was one of the tallest in the compound. Soldiers lined the middle of the foliage. He held his arms out, readying for the swing. The ninja slid forward. He swung across the trunk of the tree and continued on his way toward the housing quarters. All the while, the tree slowly toppled over in the background.

As he got to the housing he turned, heading for the lab instead. There was an idea brewing inside his head.

'Someone has to have one…' the man grinned.

So far, his idea was working. He lured the group of men away from the housing, they were now chasing after him, hoping to corner him beside the lab no doubt. Yoshimitsu jumped onto the rooftop of one of the buildings. Silent feet ran along the top. He reached the ledge and jumped, falling right into the pile of soldiers below. He landed on one man, cutting into the one in front of him. His foot collided with another's face as he turned and grabbed a different soldier's arm. The militant opened fire, the bullets hitting the man across from him. Yoshimitsu broke the man's arm, inverting his elbow. And then he kicked, doing the same to his knee. Yoshimitsu grabbed the gun, smashing it to pieces against another's face. He flipped over the last one still standing, looking at his belt.

'There…' Yoshimitsu grabbed at the man's strap, pulling off a grenade. The pin pulled out, still attached to the belt. 'Uh, oh…' he frowned. He wasn't expecting that to happen.

He elbowed the man, breaking the goggles into his face. The first man whom Yoshimitsu had landed on was currently picking himself up off the ground. Yoshimitsu ran, jumping off of his head. He threw the grenade as fast and far as he could at the approaching group of soldiers. He hoped he had lured them far enough from housing. The object flowed through the air, twisting and twirling. The cluster of ten men lifted their heads, watching as it landed right in the middle of the group, exploding immediately. Yoshimitsu dove to the ground, covering his head, not sure what the power was of that weapon. He had never used one before, only heard of them. Hell, he was a ninja how was he supposed to know what a grenade was capable of.

The ground exploded, shrapnel flew in all directions at least within fifteen meters, some much further than that. The sound literally stopped battle momentarily. Dirt and leaves rained down upon the ninja and military. Yoshimitsu lifted his head, gaping at the damage that tiny weapon had caused.

'Why don't we use these again?' The man opened his jaw, trying to pop his ears. The sound was almost deafening.

"Yoshimitsu!?" It was Jiro. "What the hell was that!? Watch it; you almost killed all of us!"

'Oh, that's why…'

The clan leader picked his self up from off the ground. He rubbed his head sheepishly. He was covered in a brown film of dirt. "Sorry…" he shrugged. Then battle commenced, though it seemed things were dying down quickly.

He stared at the dead bodies on the ground. A few of the soldiers were crying out in pain, trying to crawl away. Now came the part he hated most, putting them out of their misery.

"H, help me!" One reached out to him. He was missing an arm. Was this what modern warfare was like? Yoshimitsu had heard horror stories of modern technology on the battlefield. To be honest, he had seen many disturbing things in his life, but to see something as simple as a grenade kill so many in an instant left a sick feeling in his stomach.

"I…I can't." Yoshimitsu sighed. He stared down at the man in pity.

"Go help the others." A low voice sounded from behind the Manji leader. Yoshimitsu turned to look over his shoulder. It was Yama, a man who seemed as large as a mountain. He was built like an ox and the tallest in all the Manji clan.

"You've done enough here. I'll take care of it." His low voice thundered. Yoshimitsu hung his head. This was his dirty deed, this was his duty. "I said go, sir." He shoved the clan leader with ease. Yoshimitsu stumbled forward. "If you cannot continue with your duties, then our clan will fail." Yoshimitsu nodded slowly. He ran away, trying not to hear the terrified screams of the dying soldiers.

"Sir! They've all been stopped in the back. It seems they are falling back, we've nearly extinguished them all!" One ninja cheered happily as he trotted around the corner of a building.

Yoshimitsu sighed, grateful for the battle to be ending. Nightfall had settled long ago, the flames of the camp's night light flickered. Yoshimitsu nodded to him. A group of three men rounded the corner behind the Manji ninja. Yoshimitsu grabbed his blade. They fired, bullets flying right toward the cheerful and young ninja. Yoshimitsu tugged him away, shoving him to the ground.

Pain. A sharp pain stung his side. Yoshimitsu grit his teeth, now very angry. He ran, pulling out his sword and flying toward the three men. He rotated his left hand like a fan blade. The bullets flew back, hitting one of the men all up and down his chest. He fell quickly. Yoshimitsu dove forward, sending his fist into the second's face. He kicked him in the stomach, rotating the blade to his right hand, and sliced upward. Yoshimitsu followed up with a crescent kick to the third's head, cracking his helmet. The soldier toppled to the side. He stumbled, trying to regain his balance. Yoshimitsu continued, leaping forward and cutting the man at the base of the neck, much like he had down to the trunk of the tree before. It was a clean cut. The man was dead.

Yoshimitsu held onto his Tachi, breathing heavily. There was silence all around. Tiny crickets began singing off in the distance. The man turned slightly; making eye contact with the fellow ninja he had shoved out of the way of the gunfire. He was watching Yoshimitsu, fear streaked his features. The leader swallowed hard. Perhaps he was a bit harsh to his victims. He looked down at the blood stained sword. It still glowed brilliantly in the night, its thirst for blood still not thoroughly quenched.

"Yoshimitsu!" it was Vera. She was holding a hand against her chest. She too looked scared.

'Don't look at me like that…' Yoshimitsu frowned. There were now dozens of eyes on him. They all just stared, gawking at him. 'Please don't stare at me like that…I had to. I had to protect my people…' he shivered.

"Come on! We have to check out that wound!" Vera tugged his arm, not caring whether it hurt or not to pull him. He followed obediently, trying his best to block out the whispers and stares.

Vera took him to Dr. B's lab. She flicked on the light switch and locked the door behind her. Yoshimitsu didn't need to be told. He walked to the table and sat down. It was typical. He went through this all the time with the doctor.

'Speaking of…' He looked over his shoulder.

"Where's the doctor?" Yoshimitsu asked flatly.

"He's helping the medics out back." Vera strode to the man. She raised her arms. He did the same. She poked the wound on his side. The bullet had grazed him just right between two pieces of abdominal plates.

"Take it off." Vera sighed.

"Take what off?" He sighed back.

"Please don't be stubborn. I need to check out that wound." She spat out quite professionally.

Yoshimitsu let out an aggravated sigh. He complied, removing his heavy armor. She helped him with the shoulder armor, to make things quicker.

'What's the rush…?' the man frowned. He hated feeling like a burden, a child with a scraped knee.

His fingers fiddled with the abdominal plates. He removed them leisurely. Then he stared at the woman.

"Chest plate. Helmet." She pulled her fingers inward repeatedly. "Come on."

"Why?" He leaned forward wincing at the bad posture.

"You're bleeding everywhere. Let me bandage you up and check out everything then you can go back out and play with your friends."

"The military is gone."

"I know. I was talking about your real friends." Vera gave him a strange look.

"Oh. The ones that were staring at me like I was some kind of monster?" He tapped his finger on his chin. "Yeah that'd be the Manji clan, alright. The ones who fear their leader."

"Yoshimitsu." She drug out his name. "Either you take it off, or I'm removing them for you." She placed her hands on her hips.

He crossed his arms and tilted his head. "Really? That could be interesting."

'What is he doing?' Vera glared at him.

"You stubborn…ERGH!" She growled, stomping her feet. She pushed his arms down and grabbed the chest plate. She lifted and it clanked against his helmet.

"Not gonna work…" The man chuckled lightly to himself.

"Remove the helmet!" She cursed at him.

"Gotta remove my helmet and mask in order to take this off." He tapped his chest armor lightly.

"I'm gonna kick yer ass." Vera growled in irritation.

"You're that good? You know, I could have used that back up a while ago." He mocked her.

"That's it!" She tugged on the man's helmet, not caring if it hurt him or she removed it incorrectly.

"Ah ah!" He grabbed it to keep her from lifting it. "You got to disconnect the wires first!"

"Fine." Vera hissed. She twirled the cords one by one until the helmet was free from any connectors on his body suit. "Anything else!?"

"No…I think you got it…" He nodded slowly. 'Wait…'

She tugged the helmet cleanly from his head.

"NO!" Yoshimitsu jumped from the table.

"Yoshimitsu! You sit back down!" She dropped the helmet onto a medical tray beside the table.

"You're not getting this." He pointed at his face.

Vera hung her head, rubbing her forehead. She just was not in the mood for this. She just sat through a mini war, watching people get injured and killed left and right. She, herself, had been a cause of one man's death. Yoshimitsu watched her, suddenly feeling guilty. Vera wasn't used to these things. The Manji were usually fine the very next day after an incident like this. Someone like Vera, on the other hand, it could take a lifetime to try and block out these memories.

"Vera…" Yoshimitsu leaned against the table, watching her. She lifted her head and glared at him.

"Give me the # mask." She stated simply.

"I'm fine. Seriously. It was only a scratch." He shook his head. "It's nothing personal; I just don't like people seeing my face. I'll have the doctor check up on it when he's free."

"Nothing personal!?" she slapped the table. "Damn it, Yoshimitsu! All of this is personal! You won't open up to anyone! You won't even talk to people with your own voice! Are you hideous under that mask!? Are you scarred, disfigured, burned!? What have you got to hide!? I'm a doctor! I can help you! And that's all I want, is to help you!" she sighed and turned away. "Nothing personal…" She scoffed.

"…" He watched her, feeling the sharp pain from the bullet wound. His clothes were sticky with his blood. It was a bit deeper than he thought.

The room was silent. Vera swayed, trying not to let it get to her. The frustration and the stress were eating her right now. The fact that he was the one she had grown closest to in this village and she didn't even know what he looked like, sounded like. She paid no attention to the clanging and rustling behind her.

'Putting his damn armor on, getting ready to leave. Bastard.' Vera mentally expressed her aggravation.

Then there was silence. It was a long and awful silence. Vera was scared to turn around, afraid he had soundlessly left.

"Vera…" an unknown voice sounded from behind her. The tone was low and smooth.

Vera's breath hitched. She slowly turned. Yoshimitsu was sitting on the table. All of his armor had been removed. His shirt was pulled halfway over his chest. This isn't what surprised her. She stared at the back of his lowered head. She saw his brown messy hair. In the pile of armor lay his mask. It sat on the floor, not attached to any face. The woman shivered. That meant, the voice she heard, was Yoshimitsu's.

"Ta da…" He stated dully. The man kicked his feet back and forth slowly as he sat on the table. His hands gripped the edge tightly. He was tense.

"Ta da." Vera giggled. She bit her lower lip, approaching him slowly. He continued to mope. The florescent light flickered overhead.

"I'm bleeding everywhere…" He muttered. His head moved slightly to look at the blood seeping from the wound.

Vera grabbed her utensils. She pulled up a chair and without looking at his face she began inspecting the wound. She noticed he looked away when she began, most likely wanting to hide. She quickly cleaned and dressed the wound in utter silence. When she was finished she placed a bandage over the wound. Her fingers trailed over it softly. Yoshimitsu's hand gripped hers. He made a snort of laughter.

"I forgot you were ticklish…" Vera smiled. She stared at the hand on hers. It was his left hand. He had even removed his gloves. Right now his mechanical hand held onto hers. Her eyes lifted a bit, looking at the muscles of his abdomen and chest. They fell back on the hand. She didn't want to get distracted with the rest of his body at the moment. Any normal woman would be crazy not to admit that was interesting to look at.

"It still doesn't feel right." His voice gave her goose bumps as it sounded above her.

"What doesn't?" She focused as intently as she could on his fingers.

"The prosthetic." His bare right hand rested on top of hers. He sandwiched her hand between his. Vera could only bite her lip. Fingers rubbed over the top of her hand. "It's much softer in real life."

"…Oh…" Vera stood, feeling unsure of herself. Her hand slipped gently from his. She fidgeted, wringing her hands. Yoshimitsu stared at her fingers. Her delicate hand reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a small flashlight. He watched the item in her fingers.

"What's that for?" He pointed at the object.

"I should probably check your eyes, for dilation." She refused to look at him; she could tell he was staring at her now. "You lost a bit of blood. Don't want you to go into shock or anything…"

"I don't feel anything." He shrugged.

"I know. It's not that important I guess." She slid the flashlight into her pocket.

"You don't want to look at them?" He asked, his voice rising in pitch with his question.

"No, that's alright." She shuffled her feet.

"Is that why you got out the flashlight?" He had a hint of amusement in his voice. "Was that your excuse?"

"Excuse?"

"To look?" He chuckled.

"No!" Vera folded her arms, staring at the lights overhead.

"You haven't even looked once."

"I wanted to respect your space." She sighed. "I expected you to have put your mask back on."

"You want me to?" He tilted his head.

"…Only if you want to." She spoke slowly. No, she didn't want him to put the mask back on. She wanted to see his face; she was just too scared to look.

Yoshimitsu hopped from his seat. He reached down and lifted the mask and returned to the table. He fiddled with it, looking at the face of the porcelain. Vera looked down at him. She stared at the top of his head. She watched as his hands rose, lifting the item toward his face.

"W, wait." She grabbed his arms, stopping him. He stared at the inside of the mask, holding his breath.

She stood there, wasting time, stalling. He sat, holding the mask, waiting for her to move. Vera stared at his head, looking at the messy spikes of hair. Yoshimitsu lifted his chin, bringing his gaze upward. Vera watched, her heart pounding, as he looked upward into her eyes. He was showing her his face. She let out her breath.

Yoshimitsu stared up at her with puppy dog eyes. His eyebrows rose, giving him the most innocent and shy look she could imagine. Not only was his body language easy to read, but his facial emotions were just as easy. He stirred under her stare. He was beginning to get nervous.

"Um." He raised the mask, getting ready to put it on again.

Vera cupped his face. She forced him to look up at her again. This time he looked almost sad.

"Why would anyone want to cover this face?" She spoke quietly. The woman lowered herself in the chair beside the man. She looked up at him. He stared back. She smiled as he took on one of her traits, unconsciously chewing on his lip. His eyes were a copper color. There were specks of green scattered on the iris. Vera scrutinized them.

"Not what they used to look like." He muttered.

"Your eyes?" She asked.

"They changed when Dr. Boskonovitch operated on them." He stared at the mask.

"Why'd he operate on them?"

"So I could wear the masks in battle and they wouldn't hinder me." He gave a small crooked smirk. "It's hard to fight with a mask on. He put in nano-machines. When I move my eye, the eyes in the mask move. It's like my own. And I'm able to see things that a normal person can't. I can see in different modes, like thermal." He handed her the mask.

Vera stared at the black eyes. The tiny red pupils had a dull glow. They quickly began moving, from side to side. Vera grinned. They rested downward. She realized it was Yoshimitsu looking down at her. She lifted her head.

"This is amazing." She laughed.

"Technology is amazing, but I have been more amazed by people." He rested his chin in a hand.

"In people? How so?" She set the mask down in her lap. She felt much more comfortable now. Her eyes rested on his face, taking in the sight.

He shrugged, shaking his head. Vera didn't get it. "The last time someone, beside the doctor, has seen my face was…well over twenty years ago." He snorted, rolling his eyes. "Probably before you were even born."

Vera smiled. He looked so young. If she hadn't known about him, she would never have imagined his real age. He didn't even seem much older than her, his expressions, his body language. Everything about him made him look young. He didn't always act like an old man.

Vera grabbed his right hand, feeling the warmth it emitted. "You know how you said that you felt like a monster? You didn't feel human?"

He nodded slowly.

"Right now. This is you. You don't have the mask. You don't have the voice modulator, the armor, the scary suit. Right now, you are you." She trailed her fingers over the palm of his hand. The tickling gave him goose bumps. He wasn't used to the skin on skin contact. "And, I like that."

"You like it?" He asked quietly.

She gave him a warm smile. "I like you on any day, Yoshimitsu."

"You're staring." He looked away momentarily.

"Oh…" She pushed to her feet. He stood too. "Sorry." She began to walk away.

"I don't mind when you stare. You don't look at me like the others do." His hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"I think that's because I've gotten to see a side of you that many don't."

"That no one has." He gave a short laugh.

"Why show me?" She grinned, suddenly feeling like her typical, bold self.

"Because…" He shrugged. "You're my doctor. You were going to see my face sooner or later."

She gawked at him. He only stared back.

"Ah, jes kiddin'." He gave her the grandest smile he could muster. She was surprised he had any facial expressions at all after hiding behind that mask for so many years.

"You're a jerk!" She slapped him against the shoulder. He only laughed at her in his low manly sort of way, a way that made her want to keep making him laugh. She liked the sound of his voice. She liked the way he looked when he smiled. He had a sort of charm about him that was hard to find in most men.

"Hey." He spoke up, his grin fading into a small smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Oh, I never did thank you for helping me back there. You really saved me." She felt herself blushing. Luckily the room held little light to see it.

"Just looking out." He nodded. There was that grin again. Vera wobbled slightly. "You alright?" His face turned into one of concern.

"I'm fine! Just a bit too much excitement I guess." She giggled nervously.

"OK." He watched her carefully. "Oh, about that horse ride."

"Yeah, you promised!" She pointed at him. He held up his hands defensively.

"I know! I know, well maybe tonight-."

"Get out here!" a voice shouted through the door. It was followed by loud banging. Vera jumped at the intruding sound.

"Yoshimitsu! Get your ass out of here or we're dragging it out!" another voice sounded.

Vera watched as the smile faded from the man's face. Then she saw it. She saw his age. She saw his seriousness. He grabbed the mask and slipped it on and without another word he traveled to the door and pulled it open. Vera stood, watching the suddenly dark and solemn man.

"Yoshimitsu…" She whispered. He held up his hand, quieting her, and stepped outside.

"What's the meaning of this?" Yoshimitsu folded his arms looking down at none other than Daisuke. He had a sword in hand and many groupies lined up around him. His eyes fell to the background where there seemed to be a larger crowd of people gathering to join the party. Many faces did not seem happy. Daisuke took a step forward, shouting for all to hear.

"Yoshimitsu! It's time you've given up your place as leader of the Manji Clan." It seemed that Oda was right. There was talk around camp of Yoshimitsu's retirement. "The people have decided; your reign has gone on too long. It's time you've been replaced."

"And if I refuse to withdraw from my title?" Yoshimitsu knew the law. The leader had to willingly give up his position. He noticed two familiar faces, Jiro and Masumi. They watched the spectacle with astonishment. He looked to the side. Vera stood in the doorway, her mouth covered and her eyes wide.

"Then, we the people of the Manji Clan declare you exiled, banished from the Manji party." Daisuke twirled the blade in his hand.

Now this was a law unheard of by Yoshimitsu's ears. He'd have to check the books on this one. "Exiled?"

A woman stepped forward. "Not exiled. Think of it as house arrest. There must be a mass voting in order to ever exile a clan leader. The people decide. If, due to certain circumstances, the leader cannot fulfill his duties to the clan's standards or expectations then the people have the decision to mass vote and decide the fate of the leader, either by exile or by sacrificial execution of the traditional ceremonies." She would know; she was the keeper of the library and the official law holder of the community. "Therefore, Yoshimitsu, until voting can be carried out, you are declared under house arrest."

"You cannot leave our sight." Daisuke smiled, showing his true colors. How Yoshimitsu hated that man.

'I should have killed him when I had the chance…' Yoshimitsu frowned.

* * *

Okay, ending it here for tonight. Thanks for reading and reviewing and to those who keep up with the story! Hope you all enjoyed this new chapter! -annubis


	11. Chapter 11

Hey! Mom's coming to visit so I'm hoping to post this early (Which did not happen). Thanks for keeping up with the story. Was the last one really short? It was average for this story. I'm trying not to make them too long, like the chapters that are 10,000 that's just a bit too long cause I usually do all the writing for each chapter in one sitting rather than in pieces cause then I can lose the mood of it. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Warning: alcohol and fluffiness. –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 11**

"You see what happens!? This old man is too kind. He hurts our clan! He's aiding the Zaibatsu by keeping this woman here. We die and suffer while our enemy lives!" Daisuke raised his sword in the air. A large smile was plastered to his face; his evil handiwork was going his way.

The whole clan was around the lab facility now. The uproar of voices grew louder, some of confusion and others of anger. Yoshimitsu listened contently, he appeared very calm, much to Vera's surprise. She, on the other hand, was seething. They were turning Yoshimitsu's kindness against him.

"This is absurd!" Masumi shouted over the crowd. "He has saved us all!"

"If it wasn't for him bringing the woman here, we wouldn't be having this problem! Look at how many died tonight!" A man in the crowd shouted.

"They would have found us eventually!" Jiro growled.

"Would they have!? It's been years since our base was infiltrated; that woman shows up and suddenly we're surrounded! She's pulled the wool over all your eyes!" A bitter woman screamed, pointing an accusing finger at Vera.

Daisuke's eyes narrowed. He jumped onto the veranda and snatched up Vera's arm. He tugged her toward him, sword pointed at her throat. Yoshimitsu spun, reaching for his own blade. He frowned. He had removed it in the lab along with the rest of his armor.

"We should kill her! Send her back to the Zaibatsu! They came here for her!" the vicious man shouted, feeding fuel to the fire.

"I've just got word that her car was bugged! She led them here!" One ninja commented. He was on the technological team, in charge of keeping up the wall barrier.

"You see!? See what madness she's caused!? This was probably all of her plan!" Daisuke turned his gaze to Yoshimitsu's. "And you fell for it." The man stuck the point against Vera's neck, she gasped.

"Daisuke!" Yoshimitsu growled. "Get your hands off of her…"

"Sorry, I forgot she was your woman!" The man glared. "Our leader chose a woman over our clan!"

'This isn't how it was supposed to be…' Yoshimitsu frowned. 'This is why I can't grow close to people.' He stared at Vera. She was watching him, fear in her eyes.

"She's good, like Dr. Boskonovitch." The clan leader tried. "I brought her here for protection and look at what you do!"

"The doctor!?" Daisuke snorted. "He only cost more lives for us. Bryan Fury. Whose decision was that, Yoshimitsu? Whose grand idea was it to save Bryan Fury, who in exchange attacked our people!?"

Yoshimitsu sighed. Of course he'd bring that up. Daisuke's father died in the attack by Bryan.

"Where's your sword!?" Daisuke spat, looking at the man's waist. "I demand you to take your life and choose a new leader."

"Of all the people I'd choose to lead, you'd be at the bottom of my list." Yoshimitsu strung out slowly, his irritation rising.

"That's it!" Daisuke tossed Vera to the side in rage. She dropped to the floor in a heap. The man raised his sword in the air preparing to strike.

Yoshimitsu sidestepped, leaning back to avoid the blade. His wound split further from the movement, new blood pouring out. He stumbled back, watching the crazed man before him. Daisuke chanted some taunts, the words incoherent in Yoshimitsu's ears.

'Damn…' he shuddered, suddenly feeling weak. His hands began shaking and his vision was blurring.

"Shaking in fear?" Daisuke laughed. "Has our great Manji clan leader crumbled under the pressure?"

"You…won't ever get your way, Daisuke." Yoshimitsu groaned.

'No! He's growing weak!' Vera watched Yoshimitsu. 'He didn't eat anything today. His energy's dropping.'

"Yoshimitsu!" Vera hollered. "Your wounds!"

Yoshimitsu looked down at himself. He knew what she meant. She wasn't talking about the scrape from the bullet. She was talking about his insides. He overworked himself, wearing out the artificial organs further during the stress. He needed his rest.

"He's got more to worry about than that!" Daisuke charged, his weapon pointed for Yoshimitsu's middle.

'Why doesn't he do something!?' Vera stood to her feet. She felt a shiver run down her spine.

"No." she whispered.

'He can't be! He wants to die!' Vera swallowed hard, panic rising within her.

Daisuke was centimeters away. Yoshimitsu stood his ground, not bothering to dive out of the way. He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact.

"AH!" Daisuke stumbled, his sword dropping to the ground.

'What's this?' Yoshimitsu opened his eyes. His vision blurred from side to side and slowly focused.

"ODA!?" he stared in shock.

Daisuke pulled away, holding onto his side. The little boy had a blood covered dagger in his hands.

"How'd he get that!?" Masumi reached behind her noticing one of her weapons missing.

"Oh my god! Oda!" The boy's mother ran up on the walkway. She grabbed her little boy and tugged him away.

"Don't hurt my friend! You're a horrible man! Horrible! How dare you fight a sick man!" Oda was pulled away, kicking and screaming. "You all are horrible people, hurting my friend!"

"Quiet Oda!" his mother covered the boy's mouth.

Yoshimitsu was stunned. He could not believe what just happened.

"I'm going…to kill that brat." Daisuke fed a glare at the mother and child. He stepped to the side, ready to chase after them.

"You're not killing anyone!" Yoshimitsu hollered. His left arm swung, hitting Daisuke to the ground. He grabbed him from behind the collar and picked him up off the ground slamming him against the wall. "If anyone should be killed, it should be you." Yoshimitsu narrowed his gaze. His red pupils stared down into the man's soul. Daisuke choked on his words. His eyes fell onto the background, a smile on his face.

"Seems you've turned your defense on your own people."

Yoshimitsu glanced over his shoulder. Everyone was watching him in fear. They whispered and murmured to each other. Words of violence and monstrosity reached his ears. Yoshimitsu snarled, shoving Daisuke to the ground.

"Don't stare at me like that!" he screamed, slamming his fist into the wall. A large hole was left in its place, causing more murmurs and gasps. Yoshimitsu strode off to his living quarters, not saying another word.

A moment later, Vera was escorted to her own room. The door was locked behind her and by the voices outside she heard that she and Yoshimitsu were in lock down. Neither of them was allowed out of their rooms. And to make it better, they had ninja on watch just to make sure.

"This is ridiculous!" Vera shouted in her room. "You all are assholes!"

She screamed and dropped to her mattress, curling her legs into herself. She rested her chin on her knees.

"So stupid." She sighed. "So damn stupid."

Her hands grabbed at her pajamas lying on her mattress. As she tugged on the other clothing she made sure to scream a few obscenities loudly so that all the nearby ninja would hear.

There was a soft rap on her back door. Vera tilted her head.

"You have the key." She spat out venomously, messing with the tie on her shirt.

The door slid open. "Indeed I do!" a female voice called out.

"Masumi!" Vera gasped, looking around. "What'd you do?"

"Me? I didn't do anything. Just so happens, Jiro and I are at the top of the clan. We get the wonderful duty of guarding you two for the night." Masumi winked. "Among other lame recruits." She nodded toward the front door.

"I'm surprise they trust you two." Vera gave a weird face.

"Oh, Jiro and I aren't stupid. We knew this was going to happen sooner or later. That's why, every time it came up in discussion we played along, expressing our great distaste for the two of you."

"You said bad things about me!?" Vera gaped.

"Oh, honey, it was only lies." She whispered. "It was hard to play along tonight though." She frowned. "What they've done…was stupid. I told you, it's like high school here. Drama, drama. Jiro and I decided that it'd be impossible to convince anyone, especially tonight. We had to play the game hard in order to gain the trust of all the others. It didn't take much, surprisingly. Most wanted us on guard anyways."

"So, we lucked out." Vera smirked.

"That you did." Masumi waved an arm, telling Vera to join her outside. Vera grabbed a blanket and followed after her. They sat on the veranda, looking up at the stars. "Everyone's busy cleaning up outside. I lucked out on that. I'd much rather be sitting on my ass."

Cicadas sang off in the distance.

"Do…you agree with them?" Vera spoke after a minute.

"With those idiots? About Yoshimitsu?" Vera nodded. "No way in hell!" Masumi rolled her eyes. "They're all idiots."

"Good." Vera smiled. "I'm glad there are still people out there who appreciate what he does."

"He's a great leader." Masumi smiled. "A very good man."

"That he is." Vera agreed. "Best I've ever known." She stared at the bright stars in the sky. Masumi watched her in silence. Vera's dark, loose curls swooped around her as a breeze swept by.

"Vera?" Masumi broke the silence.

"Hm?" the woman looked to the side at the woman.

"Do you love him?" the female ninja stared.

"What!? I…" Vera waved a hand at the other woman, laughing. She noticed Masumi wasn't amused. "You're serious?"

"There was a woman once. Her name was Kunimitsu." Masumi looked forward, drawing a knee upward. Vera listened intently. "She joined the clan when she was very young. Yoshimitsu had taken a liking to her very quickly; he personally helped her with her training. Kunimitsu was fiery. She was a ball of energy, all emotions wrapped into one, ready to explode any minute. In battle she was nothing but rage and fury. She let everything get the best of her, get to her. But, every time she was with Yoshimitsu there was a calmness to her that was never shown anywhere else or to anyone else."

Vera stared at the branches overhead; leaves fell gently to the floor. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine this woman, Kunimitsu.

"Everyone could tell things were going to happen. Things that were inappropriate." Masumi sighed softly.

"Inappropriate?" Vera asked.

"He was much, much older than her. And not only that, but he taught her everything she knew. And to top it off, he was Clan leader. Nobody wanted any favoritism shown within the clan." Masumi shook her head.

"I see." The corner of Vera's lips turned downward.

"Kunimitsu, one day, decided to break into the clan's vault. She stole precious items and money. She was a thief. It was one of the few things she and Yoshimitsu argued about. She thought that the clan should use its money and stolen items on themselves. She wanted to be rich. Yoshimitsu, however, thought the complete opposite. He wanted the money to be used on the poor families in the nearby villages, to buy food and medicine and clothing. Kunimitsu was furious. They fought over it for hours. I was a little girl then. I still remember that night. Their shouts, you could hear them from all over the encampment. It was the first time I had ever heard the man yell." Masumi twirled her hair with a finger, reminiscing.

"What happened?" Vera mumbled. Her head bobbed up and down as she spoke; her chin rested on her knees.

"He had no choice." Masumi shook her head from side to side. "He kicked her out."

"Kicked her out?"

"She was exiled from the clan. She was proven guilty. She was a liar and a cheat. She became a threat to the clan. If he hadn't then the people would have rose up against him, like they had today."

"He chose to kick her out, in order to stay leader." Vera whispered.

"Amazing, huh? Wouldn't think of him to do something like that would you?" Masumi grinned. "I think there was more to it though. I think that fight had a lot more to do than the money."

"They broke it off."

Masumi nodded in response. "But you could tell it hurt him. It hurt him deeply. He barely spoke to anyone for weeks. He locked himself up in his room. He didn't do much. Pretty sure he hated himself."

"So, she just disappeared?" Vera asked.

"Not quite." Masumi let out a small laugh. "Kunimitsu came after Yoshimitsu numerous times. This time, she wanted the ultimate treasure, his sword."

"Why that?" Vera scoffed.

"Because of its abilities. Her grandfather, I heard, was a blacksmith of sorts. He made swords for rich families. He wanted the clan sword; it's the only of its kind. He wanted to duplicate it, to make millions. Can you guess where Kunimitsu got her materialism from?"

"Runs in the family." Vera laughed quietly.

"Then…one day, Yoshimitsu left the camp for a few days. We all thought he had finally lost it, abandoned us all. But, he came back. He came back and we never saw or heard from her again." Masumi frowned. "It was obvious what had happened. To those how weren't thick headed, he had killed her. Things had gotten deathly violent between the two of them, you would never have guessed they were friends, let alone lovers. He didn't say a word that day. He just walked into the camp, went into his room, and didn't come out for a week straight." The ninja rubbed her face, yawning. "I still remember the look on his face. Or…at least his posture. I'm sure you can read him by now. That slumped posture, like he had died. The worst thing in the world just happened to him and it had broken him forever. And then there was the blood on his clothing. People rushed to him, thinking he was hurt. He only kept walking, ignoring them. Some thought he had died in his room." Masumi laughed. "It wasn't his blood, but it was true. That day, he did die. He was no longer that happy, carefree man we all knew. Sure, after some time, he joined us all like when we were kids. But it was never the same."

"That was when he began hiding." Vera muttered.

"Yup. He lost an important part of himself when she died. I haven't seen him laugh and interact with people since…until recently."

"Recently? Why?" Vera swung her feet back and forth over the edge of the veranda.

Masumi gave a short laugh. "Not until you arrived."

Vera froze, feeling goose bumps on her skin.

"He's seemed to develop quite a liking to you." Masumi let out a low laugh.

"Oh…" Vera mumbled stupidly. She had no idea what to say to that.

"I think you're good for him. He needs to be picked on every now and then. I try to whenever I can. Get him to interact and become the man he used to be." Masumi sighed dreamily. "Such a kind man. Too bad there aren't more like him!" She patted Vera on the back, quite amused with the thought.

"Hey, Masumi." Vera interrupted. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What?" The woman leaned back, her arms out behind her to support her.

"What's up with your sleeping habits?"

"Sleeping habits?" Masumi giggled. "You mean my sexual habits?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Sure." Vera shrugged giving a nervous laugh.

"Those girls never keep secrets." Masumi sighed. "They say I sleep with both men and women?"

"Yeah. Is that true?" Vera gave her a sideways smile. She doubted it.

"I slept with a woman once." Masumi nodded.

"You did!?" Vera sat up straight, gasping. It was true. Masumi did like both men and women. Vera half thought it all to be a lie.

"You want to know details, don't you?" Masumi rolled her head over to look at the woman.

"Well, not sexual details." Vera laughed.

"You're going to love this!" Masumi turned toward the woman, folding her legs in meditative style. "Ok! So the woman I slept with…I slept with her while I was dating a man."

"You were dating someone at the time!" Vera laughed. "And you cheated on him with a woman!?"

"I'm awful, right?" Masumi tittered. "That isn't even the good part."

"What's the good part?" Vera leaned forward.

"I was dating Daisuke at the time." Masumi snorted.

Silence. Dead silence followed that comment.

"You're kidding me!?" Vera grabbed Masumi's shoulder, cackling with laughter.

"Shh!" Masumi held a finger to her lips. She giggled just a loudly though. She nodded her head quickly, laughing.

"You cheated on Daisuke, manly man, with another woman?" Vera gasped. "Oh my god! That's gold!"

"I knew you'd like to hear of that." Masumi's laughter died down.

"I can't believe you." Vera sighed. "So…then you have slept with the man."

"Horrible lover. Horrible!" Masumi scoffed loudly. "Jerk, selfish, egotistical. I was tired of it." She shrugged. "And I grew bored with him."

"So you tried something new." Vera stifled a laugh.

"Eh, I was tired of men. They're all jerks, you know." Masumi rolled her eyes, leaning back.

"Hey, Masumi." Vera bit her lip.

"You want to know who it was, don't you." Masumi sat up again. She looked about nervously.

Vera nodded.

"Ok…" Masumi took a deep breath. She seemed so nervous to tell Vera who the other woman was. Vera suddenly felt bad; this obviously caused her lots of trouble and pain.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Masumi." She patted the older woman's knee.

"Kagami." She spat it out.

"Kagami!?" Vera squawked.

Masumi nodded again. "The woman was Kagami."

"No way! But she….she's the one who causes you the trouble over it! She's the one who hurts you and makes fun of you!" then Vera remembered. On the battlefield Masumi had rushed over to Kagami. Kagami had apologized to her.

"She didn't want anyone to know it was her. She was so embarrassed by it. She rushed straight to Daisuke and told him what I had done. If she was the one to spread the rumors then she could get all attention off of her and shoved onto me. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if the whole camp knew who I slept with." Masumi laughed, shaking her head.

"That's horrible!" Vera folded her arms.

"I know, I know." Masumi grit her teeth. "She's a bitch."

Vera laughed. "Why didn't you tell the others?"

"I tried, once. It was already too late. They all said I was trying to spread rumors to get back at the woman." She shrugged. "I didn't really care. It stopped hurting after a while; I began to just play along. It's the best thing to do. They try to kick you when you're down and all you do is smile back and said, 'Yup! I did that! I slept with another woman!' They never know how to respond!" The older woman fiddled with a pouch sitting beside her.

"But, why her?" Vera wrinkled her nose.

"She was little and cute." Masumi nodded. "She had blue highlights in her hair and those blue nails. She was crazy too. Absolutely insane. She had an attitude and an annoying laugh." The woman thought a moment. "I have no idea what the hell I was thinking." She laughed. "Must've been the saki we drank that night."

"You were drunk." Vera laughed.

"Speaking of." Masumi pulled the pouch onto her lap. She winked at Vera. "I brought you something."

"What's this?" Vera asked as a bottle was placed in her hands. She read the label. "You brought me alcohol?"

"Best saki you'll ever drink!" Masumi grinned widely.

"Lemme guess, the same stuff you drank that night." Vera cocked her head to the side, holding the bottle beside her face.

"Damn right!" Masumi nodded.

"You're not planning on getting me drunk, are you?" Vera held a look of fear in her eyes.

"Ah ha! As much as I'd _love_ to, I can't. I'm on duty!" Masumi winked. "But you can bring that to your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend." Vera blushed.

"I see the way he stares at you, Vera. Come on, everyone sees it." Masumi stretched, her back popping loudly. "Why do you think they made such a big deal outta you?"

"What a mess." Vera shook her head.

Masumi readied to stand. "I gotta check in soon. Update on your status."

"Hey." Vera started.

"Now, what?"

"You ever…uh…sleep with any other strange people?" Vera stared at the bottle in her hands.

"I tried, once." Masumi stared at the moon in the sky. "Got close, _very_ close. But he refused."

"Why is that?" Vera cocked her head to the side.

"I tried to remove his mask." Masumi raised a shoulder. "He didn't like that very much."

Vera smiled.

"But I'm sure he'd make an exception for you. Anyways, I'm off for check in. When I get back, you best be over that fence." Masumi pointed. "Jiro's keeping watch on the other side." Then she left, hopping to the rooftops.

"Wait! I…" Vera looked all around. She was left unguarded!?

She had a moment to think and without her brain's consent, her legs tore off and she was climbing over the fence into the back of Yoshimitsu's living quarters. She dropped rather ungracefully onto the ground on the other side.

"That was agile." A voice sounded from a tree above her.

"Jiro." Vera gasped. "I…um…Masumi…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Jiro rolled his eyes. "She's gonna get me into so much trouble." The man shook his head.

"She's worth the trouble though, right?" Vera grinned at the man.

"Completely." He nodded once. "Wha-…Hey!" He covered his eyes, groaning.

"She's a good girl." Vera giggled, trotting up to the back door.

"Yeah…yeah…" Jiro sighed. "Door's unlocked."

Vera opened the door and slipped inside. Jiro was left alone in the darkness yet again. A tree stirred from beside him. It was Masumi. He gave her a thumbs up. She fed him the biggest grin she could muster.

'Why does she have to be so cute?' Jiro pouted.

The room was lightly lit from the fireplace. In the center of the room sat Yoshimitsu, his back to the door. He obviously paid no mind to the disturbances outside. Vera went over the details of his posture. He sat meditatively with his head in his hands. His shoulders slumped lowly and his back curved. Yoshimitsu looked as if he were going to be folded in on himself.

"Rough night, huh?" Vera spoke up, interrupting the soft silence of the room.

He sat up, back rigid. But he did not look at her.

"How'd you get in here?" He asked after a further moment of silence.

"Let's just say that ninja training finally paid off." Yoshimitsu could hear the smile in her voice. He leaned forward again, resting his chin in a hand. "You don't look so good." Vera made her way to sit next to the man.

"Well I don't feel so good." He replied.

"I noticed you were having trouble earlier. You were dizzy, weren't you?" She stood in front of the man; he refused to look at her.

"It was nothing. I'm better now."

"Because you finally were able to rest." Vera leaned forward. "You know, we're almost finished with the machine, Yoshimitsu. We'll have you better in no time. But for the time being, you gotta get some rest."

"It's pointless now, Vera." He sighed heavily. "You're just wasting your time."

"Nothing is pointless." She crouched in front of the man. "And you are not a waste of time."

Yoshimitsu lifted his eyes. He noticed she was wearing the dark outfit he had given to her the first night she had arrived at the village. She looked little in his old uniform.

"What are you doing here?" He changed the subject. His voice did not sound happy at all.

"I've come to cheer you up, Yoshimitsu!" Vera giggled, holding up the bottle Masumi had given her.

"You've brought me a bottle?" The man lifted his head. Vera smiled at him.

"It's not the bottle, but what's inside." Vera shook it from side to side.

"An awful tasting liquid that inhibits your senses?" He cocked his head to the side, folding his arms.

"Exactly!" Vera chimed happily. She could tell he was beginning to feel irritated with her cheerfulness, but she wasn't going to let his mood take over tonight.

"I'm not in the mood." The man let out another tremendous sigh.

"I…don't care." She leaned forward, narrowing her eyes.

"…" He was returning her glare she could tell. She realized that his scary mask didn't scare her one bit. She knew the man behind it, and there was nothing about him that scared her.

Vera sat back on her heels, looking about the man's room. Her eyes trailed over all the costumes in the cases. The last time she was inside, it was almost pitch black. Now she could see all the details and glimmers in the metallic costumes. She could read the faces perfectly on the masks.

"You're going to have to tell me about all this costumes you wear." She mumbled, her eyes rotating to the other side of the room.

"Maybe another time." Yoshimitsu answered grumpily. He continued to watch her.

Vera stumbled upon a shocking sight. Beside the fireplace was a small table. And atop that table was an old chess set, the pieces carved to look like little warriors.

"You play chess!?" Vera gasped. She pushed to her feet, trotting to the set. Without permission she picked up the pieces, looking over the tiny details of the figurines. She looked back at Yoshimitsu, smiling. "I didn't know you played chess!"

"…The doctor taught me to play." Yoshimitsu grumbled. "Be careful with those. My father made them."

"Your father made these?" Vera smiled. "They're cute."

"Why is everything so cute to you?" Yoshimitsu lowered his head again.

"Let's play!" Vera tried to lift the heavy, solid oak table. The man glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The table barely moved an inch. "Ugh…" She groaned as it pulled her back down with its weight. A corner of the man's lip turned upward. He quickly wiped the smile off his face. "It's heavy."

The man stayed in his place, ignoring the woman. Vera placed her hands on her hips.

"Very!" She tugged on it again, trying to drag it across the floor. "Heavy!" it scraped against the floor again, a few chess pieces falling over to the side.

Yoshimitsu rose to his feet. Vera quickly snatched up the chess board and pieces. He looked at her a moment, feeding her a glare she was sure. Then his left hand lowered and lifted the small table off the floor. He turned and pulled it to the center of the room, setting it before the pillow he had been sitting on. Vera hopped over happily and sat on the other side. She frowned. The table sat at about chest height for her. She raised her eyes to look at the man on the other side. She noticed the table was much lower to him.

"It's too tall." She slapped the table top with her hands.

"What?" he looked down at her. Then he noticed, indeed the table was a bit too big for her. "Sit on your knees then." He smirked.

"That's uncomfortable." Vera sneered at him.

"Not my problem." He shrugged.

"I can't see the pieces." The woman poked the king piece on the board.

"You complain too much." He muttered, looking over a piece.

"You brood too much!" She snapped back.

Silence filled the room. She bit her lip, giggling. She knew she was pissing him off. And for some reason, she was finding it fun.

The man stared at her. He slammed his hands down on the table. He scooped up the chess board and dropped it to the floor. Vera watched him intently, a small smile on her face. His eyes never left hers. Then his hands went back to the table, he rose from his seat and tossed the table to the side, it bounced and scooted across the floor loudly. He dropped back down to the floor, watching the young woman who wasn't fazed at all by his anger. The man slapped his hand on the middle of the chess board, sliding it across the floor to set between him and the woman. Then his hands rested in his lap and he stared at the board. The room was silent. Vera only stared at the pieces with him.

"You're frustrating." He mumbled.

"You're frustrating." She replied. Her dainty hands began setting the pieces back into place on the board. When she was finished she leaned forward, staring upward at the man. He tried to ignore her, but failed miserably.

"Why are you staring at me?" He folded his arms and looked away.

"You said you didn't mind me staring." She grinned.

"Are you trying to make me angry?" He placed his hands on either side of the board, leaning in and glaring at her. "Because I am angry enough." He knew he was over exaggerating his anger. And he could tell that Vera could see right through him, and for some reason that only aggravated him more.

"No. I'm trying to cheer you up." Vera fiddled with the bottle beside her.

"You're doing a marvelous job." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Let's play!" Vera clapped her hands together, ignoring him. She knew what he was doing and as much as it irritated her, she was not going to show her frustration.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Then that counts as a foul, and you take a drink!" Vera pulled the top off the bottle.

"I'm not drinking that." He pointed at her.

"And every time you lose a game, you gotta take a shot!" She grinned, smelling the alcohol.

"A shot?" the man questioned.

"Come on! Don't tell me you don't play drinking games! Weren't you supposedly wild in your younger years?" the woman eyeballed him suspiciously.

"That stuff is not good for you." He pointed out.

"Thanks, I'm a scientist, I know that." She took a sip from the liquid, her nose wrinkling. It wasn't what she was used to.

"And it doesn't taste good. How about we have some tea instead?" The man pointed at the teapot beside the front door.

"Tea isn't fun." Vera grinned. "You'll get used to the taste after a few drinks."

Yoshimitsu grabbed the bottle out of Vera's hands, much to her surprise. He looked over the label. He hummed a sound of recognition.

"You've had it before?" Vera asked.

"Nope, but I know someone who has." Yoshimitsu handed the bottle back to the woman.

"Really?" Vera played innocently.

"Masumi is a bad influence over you." He tapped his fingers against the floor.

"She has nothing to do with this!" Vera lied.

"I imagine she did, how else would you have gotten here?" the man fiddled with a game piece.

"You ruin all the fun, you know that?" Vera frowned.

"I'll play, but I will not drink." He moved the first game piece.

"That's not fair! Those aren't the rules of the game." Vera moved her piece next.

"Well, I'm not going against the rules." He moved the second piece.

"What do you mean?" Vera moved again. He followed after her, very quickly and snatched up one of her warriors.

"I mean, I won't be drinking, but not because I'll be going against the rules…" They moved a couple more times. Yoshimitsu picked up a piece. He smiled at the woman, tilting his head. "But because you can't beat me." He dropped the piece heavily onto the board.

"Someone's sure of himself!" Vera gave him her fighter face, pushing a chess figurine across a square.

"Checkmate." He moved another piece.

"Check…?" Vera looked down. "Checkmate!?"

"Correct." He rested his hands on his knees with his elbows outward.

"What!?" Vera scrutinized the board, mouth dropping.

"You're not good at this game." Yoshimitsu rubbed his knuckles against the cloth of his shirt.

"You cheated." She gasped.

"You know, for a scientist…you're not very smart." He leaned forward, replacing the pieces on the board.

"WHAT!?" Vera gaped at him. "Did you just call me stupid!?"

"Not stupid, you're just not as smart as I thought you were." He raised his shoulders. "Nothing wrong with that."

She pointed at him, her brows furrowing. "I know what you're doing and it's not going to work."

"What?" the ninja leaned back casually. "I'm not doing anything."

"You're trying to make me mad." She smiled.

"Only playing your game." He moved his game piece first.

"I'm going to win this time." She muttered through gritted teeth. How she wanted to beat him right now. He turned her tactics against her. She could tell he was enjoying himself too.

"You forgot something." He glanced up at her.

"I can't believe you." She gave him a bitter look.

He shrugged at her. "Your rules."

"Fine!" Vera sighed. She made a weird face and took a big swig of the Saki. She swallowed hard and shivered, making a strange sound. Yoshimitsu chuckled at her.

"You don't like it?" he laughed.

"You…just shush." She glared at him, moving a game piece across the board.

The games continued one by one. Each one was about as quick as the first. Yoshimitsu had pulled off some miracle move, catching Vera off guard. He would surround her and in seconds her pieces would be snatched up. And poor Vera, she had to take a sip of the bitter alcohol at the end of each game. It didn't take long before the games were almost nonexistent. Vera had stopped trying.

"Yer cheatin'. I know it." Vera glared at the man. He shook his head.

"I'm not cheating. It's a move that the doctor had taught me."

"Like in tic-tac-toe?" Vera twirled the bottle under her finger, the liquid sloshing inside the bottle.

"…I suppose. Is that a strategy game?" He asked.

"You have a piece of paper?" The woman held out her hand.

Yoshimitsu reached under his mattress. He slid a small book out from underneath. He pulled out a pen and tore out a piece of paper from the back.

"What's that?" Vera grinned, reaching for the book.

"That…!" He shoved it back under the mattress. "…is nothing of your concern." He handed her the paper and pen.

Vera gave him a pouty face as she drew a grid on the paper. She began, placing an X in one of the squares. She handed the man the pen.

"You're circles." She poked the paper. "And I'm X's. The point is to get three in a row in a line or diagonal."

"I see." The man drew a circle in a different square. "Doesn't seem very difficult."

"It's almost impossible to beat someone, but there is this trick I learned in middle school." She drew another X.

"A trick? You mean you cheat?" He placed a circle in a separate square.

"It's not a cheat! It's a strategy." She struggled with the last word. Another X appeared.

Yoshimitsu stared down at the paper. She indeed had him pinned. He noticed that he had to place a circle down or she'd get three in a row. He smiled, placing it in the middle on the side.

'That wasn't hard at all…' He smirked.

"Got you!" Vera laughed; she placed an X on the top side. Yoshimitsu stumbled.

"How!? But…" He looked over the piece of paper. He noticed that she had fooled him. She had done some trick that left two centers open. No matter where he put the next circle he had been beat. "Tricky…"

"I told you!" Vera clapped her hands together happily.

"Ah, simple game." He waved a hand.

"Simple? I beat you! And that was tic-tac-toe!" She cackled loudly. "Seriously, for you being a mighty ninja, you're not very skillful tactically. Not as good as I thought you were…"

"What?" He folded his arms.

"Yeah…" she nodded.

"You're calling me a bad ninja?"

"No…not bad." She smiled. "Just not as skillful as I thought you were."

"I see." He smirked at her.

"Drink!" She shoved the bottle in his face.

"What?" He leaned back as if it were poison.

"You lost! You have to drink!" She dropped the bottle roughly in his lap.

"…" He stared at it. "There were no rules stated before this game." He made up excuses.

"Oh…those rules were for every game we play tonight!" Vera giggled, covering her lips. She had too much.

'Maybe I should have let her win a few.' He looked down at the bottle. 'But then I'd be in her position…' Yoshimitsu swallowed hard. He wasn't known to hold his alcohol well. It didn't take much. He was an awful light weight. Not to mention, he hadn't had a drop of alcohol in almost forty years.

"Do it!" She pointed at him. "If you don't then I'm leafing!"

"Leafing?" he repeated the word. "You're a tree now?"

"Leav-ing!" she stuttered. "I hate you." A low growl emitted from her.

"Fine." He looked at the bottle. He pulled off the top and stared at it a minute.

"It's hot. I'll be right back." Vera mumbled. She rose to her feet and walked behind the man.

Yoshimitsu paid no attention to her. He took the time for her to not be looking at him, lifted his mask and took a big swig of the awful liquid. He dropped the bottle and slammed the top back into it. His hand pulled the mask back down as he had a coughing fit.

"That's awful!" The man nearly choked.

"You drank some!?" Vera asked cheerfully as she trotted around to sit in front of him again.

"Vera!" He tore his gaze away. She had removed her pants. Now she only wore the shirt of the ninja uniform. Luckily it was long enough to cover her.

"What?" She looked down at herself. "Oh, come on! It's like wearing a dress." She snorted. "An ugly dress." The woman plopped to the floor. She lifted the bottle.

"I'm taking this." Yoshimitsu snatched the item from her hands.

"Hey!" She fell forward, trying to take it back. "That was a gift!"

"Masumi's only trying to cause trouble, you know that." He set the bottle beside him.

"Come on, Yoshimitsu. Are you afraid of? A little fun?" Vera set her hands on either side of the game, leaning across and watching him.

'Come on, Yoshimitsu. What are you afraid of? A little fun?' Yoshimitsu closed his eyes. Kunimitsu had said practically the same thing many years ago.

"I am having fun." Yoshimitsu cleared his throat.

"We wouldn't be…" Vera whispered.

"Hm?" He looked down at the woman.

"If it weren't for Oda…" the woman sat back.

"…" the man refused eye contact.

"You were going to let him kill you, weren't you." She mumbled.

"I wasn't." he answered shortly.

"You didn't move." The woman twirled a figurine under her fingertip.

"I couldn't see."

"You knew he was coming."

"I'm going to die anyways."

"Not if we can help you!" She leaned forward again, a hand pounding against the floor.

"Vera. I'm old." He sighed. "I can't do this!"

"Can't do what!? Live!?" She sputtered at him.

"Everything. Lead, fight, and be around these people. I've lost too much in the past. I can't deal with their stares, their pity, and their fright. I can't deal with the pain, the injury. I can't deal with me, you…us." He sighed.

"Us?" She whispered. Her cheeks were red, from the alcohol or her embarrassment, Yoshimitsu couldn't tell.

"This." He held out his hands.

"It's only a game, Yoshimitsu." Vera mumbled. "You don't have to drink if you don't want to." She pulled the bottle away.

"That's not it." He mumbled. A hand went to his forehead.

"I'm confused." Vera held her head. It was hitting her hard now.

"Don't throw up, please." He groaned.

Vera laughed. "I'm not that far gone! You know, you're just going through a hard time. Not everyone in the clan is afraid of you. You have two good friends out there right now. They're watching us. They're the reason I'm here."

"Only to give me a hard time." Yoshimitsu chuckled.

"Am I causing you trouble?" Vera asked. Yoshimitsu looked down at her. She had a worried face. Her eyes held sadness in them.

"No…that's not what I meant." He watched her.

"I just wanted to try to make you happy, so you wouldn't be sad." Her eyes began to tear up; he saw the sparkles in the light.

'Don't cry…don't cry.' He mentally talked to the young woman. He felt panic rising inside him.

"I didn't mean to make you upset." Her lower lip trembled.

"You're not!" Yoshimitsu set a hand on her shoulder. "In fact, you've made my mood a lot better. It's good you're here."

"You're not mad at me?"

"No." He sighed. "Why would I be?"

"Cause I pick on you too much."

"You don't pick on me too much. Besides, I picked on you." He muttered. He suddenly felt very hot. That fire was scorching. "Is it hot in here?"

"Well…I did take off my pants." Vera snorted a laugh. "I can't believe I took off my pants!" she cackled, looking down at herself. "Er…your pants."

"What?"

"I mean, they used to be your pants, so…technically I removed your pants!" She giggled, thinking the whole concept was hilarious.

"You've had too much."

"And you not enough!" She set the bottle back down beside him. "You can have the rest. That stuff is nasty." She leaned across the board once again.

"That's the last thing I need." He gave a low laugh.

"Then what do you need?" Vera mumbled. She was closer than Yoshimitsu realized. He stared at her; silence took over once again.

'What do I need?' the man thought. 'What do I need?' his eyes trailed over the woman. His heart began beating fast. He was getting himself into too much trouble. He was in a hole, one Vera had dug for him, and now he was digging himself deeper.

"I need…" The man whispered. His eyes fell on her again. Something caught his eye. He looked down. "Um…" he mumbled stupidly.

The tie that held her top closed was coming undone. It started to fall down one shoulder, exposing her collarbone, and the top was dipping dangerously low.

"Vera…" He pointed a finger.

She looked down at herself. To his surprise she didn't care. She only looked back up at him, giggling mischievously.

'Damn it.' The man began to scoot away to get to his feet.

"You know, I don't understand why you hide." She muttered. "You say you can't deal with their fear and all that. Well you hiding doesn't help any of it."

"Me getting close to people obviously doesn't help much either." He was short with her.

"What's that mean?" The woman glared at him again.

"Look at you." He murmured. "What are you trying to do? What do you want?"

"Me?" She laughed. She bit her lip and crawled over the chessboard, her knee knocking over a few pieces. "I want to hear your natural voice again. See your face, the real you."

"Even that isn't real." The man frowned. Her hands rested on either side of his knees now. She had him pinned.

"Real enough, more real than these stupid masks you wear." She said bitterly.

"Seems I spoiled you." He stated. She heard that he wasn't upset, actually amused.

"I've already seen it once, why do you bother hiding anymore?" her fingers rubbed against his.

"Because, then I can't tease you."

"You're playing with me right now, aren't you?" she gave him a sideways grin.

"I may have beaten you at chess, but you're beating me at this game." He looked down at her once again.

"Really?" she pushed forward again, her confidence was rising. Her face was inches away from his. "Have I found your weakness?" She giggled.

She was one of the few people in Yoshimitsu's life who openly pointed out his flaws. And many of his flaws were his weakness. She had him figured out and now he was completely open. It didn't matter if she had read the book under the mattress or not, she could figure everything out on her own.

"Possibly."

"You seem different without your mask." She said in a low tone.

"How so?"

"You seemed more confident. You didn't hide and shy away like I thought you would." The woman placed her hands on either side of his face.

"…Really?" He asked slowly, testing her.

"But it has the opposite effect with me." She giggled.

"What do you mean?"

"Right now, I don't care what I do. I can make you so uncomfortable." She snickered. "But, when you removed your mask, it was the opposite."

"…" He listened to her, thinking. Earlier in the lab he had surprised himself. He felt completely comfortable once he removed his mask. Yoshimitsu wasn't nearly as nervous as he thought he'd be. And yes, he had noticed, he had an effect on Vera that satisfied him. For once, he could put her on the spot and make her uncomfortable with his presence.

"So?" She asked.

"So what?"

"Are you going to stop hiding from me?" She asked.

Yoshimitsu didn't answer. He seemed to be debating with himself whether it was a good idea or not. He did have that confidence earlier, but right now, he was scared to hell of this woman.

Vera gave him an aggravated face. Her knees scooted on either side of his folded legs. She rested them at his hips and took a seat right in his lap. He looked down at her once and then looked up at her, wide eyed she could tell. Her 'dress' was now split, revealing her cute little undergarments.

"What are you looking at?" She giggled.

"Vera." There was that warning tone again. She wondered what that meant. He always gave her that tone of voice when she was up to no good, but he never acted upon it. It was like he was curious, wondering what she'd do next.

'Ok…let's see how long it takes before he does something about it.' She gave him a mischievous grin.

'I don't like that look…' Yoshimitsu frowned.

She scooted even closer, much to his discomfort. Her arms wrapped around his neck.

"You know, for you being so agitated all the time with human contact, you let me get away with a lot." Vera waited to see what he'd do. She noticed his hands twitch. She felt a bit dizzy, unsure of herself suddenly.

'Who cares?' Vera shrugged mentally. She pulled him down toward her.

"You know you want to." She taunted him, her lips brushing against the mask as she spoke. Then, the woman placed a gentle kiss against the mask. She pulled him against her. Much to her relief his arms wrapped around her, holding her. She felt nervous suddenly as he seemed to take over. He tore off his gloves and placed his bare, right hand on her leg, feeling her soft skin.

'What the hell…' The man sighed. He pulled away from her and lifted his mask, letting it rest atop his head. Vera stared upward at him; a shiver ran down her spine.

"This is what you wanted?" He asked.

She nodded timidly.

"This is what I wanted." He said quickly.

Then he kissed her. The kiss through the mask wasn't enough. It only made the fire worse. He wanted to feel her, wanted to feel her lips with his. He was tired of the mask. He could breathe so much easier outside of it. It wasn't so stuffy outside, and when his mask was off, Vera looked at him differently. There was a look in her eyes that was much different than any other look she had given anyone. It was a look that she only gave to him and it wasn't a look of fear. He wanted to see that look again. He pulled away, holding her face so she looked up at him.

"..." Grey eyes stared upward at him, absorbing his face once again. Her mouth dropped a bit. He gave her a crooked grin. "Now we're confident, aren't we?" She teased him.

"Very." He nodded, pulling her into another kiss.

Yoshimitsu's hands traveled her body, feeling the differences between his real hand and the mechanical one. Their kiss deepened. He could feel her racing heart beat against his chest. He let a hand rise higher to rest on her hip and he pulled away again. She gave him a questioning look. "Very… confident." He grinned. He tugged her against him and carried her to the side, laying her onto the mattress pad on the floor. She let out a quiet, embarrassed giggle. This time, he could tell, the redness of her cheeks was from her blush.

'I need to play chess with her more often…' he crawled over her and returned to her lips.

* * *

Ok, hafta end it here for tonight. Sorry for the slight delay. I was hoping to submit this early but it ended up being late. Mom was visiting for a few days. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the fluffy in this chapter. Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis


	12. Chapter 12

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading and reviewing and to those who watch! It's good hearing from you too, I always enjoy hearing your thoughts on my writing. Anyways, sorry for the delay…again. It seems everyone's coming down to visit lately. So im busy cooking, cleaning and doing things with them and not to mention my children's book job! That's keeping me way busy too. And now I have no time to work on illustrations for my fanfics, sorry but I need money! Lol! Anyways, hope my writings will satisfy enough of you for now. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 12**

Vera squealed happily as she stretched, arching her back and her arms curling at her head. She flipped over, taking a big breath. Grey eyes slowly opened.

'Uh oh!' She sat up; looking around at the room she was in. 'I fell asleep!'

Vera's eyes darted from side to side. She was in Yoshimitsu's room, but there was no Yoshimitsu in sight. She took a deep sigh of relief. She didn't know what she would have done if she wound up waking up next to that man.

"How did I end up falling asleep?" Vera yawned. Her head felt a little achy and her mouth was dry. No matter how hard she thought she couldn't remember how she ended up falling asleep not only in Yoshimitsu's room, but his bed.

"I was playing chess…" Vera thought. "Oh…" she felt her heart skip a beat.

'I did something stupid, didn't I?!' she slowly looked under the covers. 'Nope…clothes are still on.' She sighed with relief. Then she did a double take. 'Where are my pants!?' they lay on the floor beside the mattress. Flabbergasted, she stared at the black pants. She had a flash of memory, her removing the article of clothing because she was too hot.

"Of course he wouldn't do that. If that man's so upset over people seeing his face, he probably wears a chastity belt." The woman rubbed her face, groaning.

"ARGH!" A loud, low scream sounded from outside. Vera rose to her feet.

'Another attack!?' She gasped, shivering at the cold as her blanket slipped to the ground.

Running to the door she grabbed her shoes and jacket. She stared at the pants on the floor.

'Damn it!' She ran back, slipping the loose cloth over her slim legs. In a hurry she ran out the back door toward the sound.

She sprinted down the wooden veranda, her steps heavy and weak. 'My legs hurt…' she wrinkled her nose, not sure exactly why. ' And I feel like I pulled something on my inner thigh!' She figured she 

must've pulled something from the rough up with Daisuke last night when he tossed her to the ground carelessly.

"No!" There was a loud thud, like something heavy falling.

Vera quickened her speed; she knew where the disturbance was coming from. There was another angry shout and more noise.

"No, no, no!"

Vera slowed her pace. Yoshimitsu was by the pond. He was throwing rocks, screaming, hitting the trees. His sword was drawn, glowing brightly. Something wasn't right.

"Damn it!" he stabbed a wide tree trunk.

"Yoshimitsu!" Vera approached the area slowly, glancing around for intruders of any kind. She looked back at the man. He was pacing, growling, his hands grabbing his head. Of course, his mask was in its rightful place. "What's wrong?" she tried to catch her breath.

The man didn't look at her, he pointed at the small pond instead.

"Rupert! He's gone!" the man groaned desperately.

Vera stared at the water, dumbfounded. All the fish were swimming about happily munching on tiny bugs. The giant bullfrog, however, was not sitting by the rocks or in the water. She looked around the area as if she would find it sitting right there and Yoshimitsu would've skipped over him by accident.

"The frog?" Vera asked.

"He's gone." The man sighed. His voice was strained.

"I…I'm sure he's fine, Yoshimitsu. Frogs don't always have to stay by water. Maybe he went out looking for…food." The woman kept her distance, watching the blade carefully in his hand.

"No." He shook his head. "NO! He doesn't leave like this. Never has! He's always here. Always sitting on that rock up there. If he's gone, it's never more than an hour." Yoshimitsu took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm sure he's fine." Vera bit her lower lip. Why was he over exaggerating like this? She didn't get it. It was a frog.

"No! He's been gone for far too long! He wasn't there last night when I came back here and he's still not here!" He dropped to his knees beside the pond, looking at the fish. He called out to each one, asking if they knew where Rupert was. "I've looked everywhere; I've looked everywhere, Vera. He's gone! He's dead!"

Was he crying? Vera held her hands against her chest. Yoshimitsu wasn't all there right now. There was a soft hum from the blade at his fingertips. She frowned, knowing well what the problem was.

"DEAD!" the man pushed to his feet, sending his fist crashing against a tree trunk. Bark pieces dropped to the ground in a flurry. There was a loud crack, something broke. Yoshimitsu slumped to the ground, dragging across the wooden surface. He leaned against the tree, his back to the woman. His shoulders shook as he sobbed quietly to himself.

Vera kept her eyes on the Tachi that was left beside the pond a few feet away. She tiptoed quietly to the weapon, watching Yoshimitsu every second. Her hands trembled as she leaned down slowly to pick it up. Yoshimitsu mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He looked so distraught, troubled. His hand came to rest against the mask as his body wracked with frantic cries. The scientist lifted the blade from the ground. It was heavy, dragging across the soil. She froze, Yoshimitsu noticing. He looked over his shoulder, all sound stopped. Vera quickly held it close to her body.

"What are you doing!?" The man rose to his feet. He watched her, breathing hard. "Give it to me." He held out his hand.

"No, Yoshimitsu. I, I don't think you should be near this thing…" the woman stepped back. "I'm taking it."

He stared at her, for the first time she felt the real fear this man could create. His piercing eyes glared at her. There seemed to be an aura of anger emanating from him.

"Taking it?" he cocked his head to the side, taking a slow step toward her.

Vera nodded quickly, taking another nervous step back.

"You're taking my sword?" he asked slowly, another step.

"You…you're not well." Vera stammered. "This thing isn't good for you, Yoshimitsu. It's hurting you."

"Give me the sword." He growled. His pace quickened.

'Oh shit!' Vera turned to run.

A large hand gripped her shoulder firmly, spinning her around and then shoving her against a tree roughly. He grabbed the folds of her shirt and held her there tightly. Vera dropped the blade, screaming a shout.

"Kuni…" The man growled angrily. He drug out the name, his voice rising in pitch. He froze, staring at Vera.

"…" the woman breathed heavily, her eyes were wide in fear. "D, don't hurt me…please…"

'Oh #&…' the man gasped, releasing his hold on the woman.

"Vera." He mumbled. The man covered the mask on his face, two barriers now hiding him. He turned away, moaning to himself. He dropped to his knees again. "I'm sorry." He leaned forward, elbows touching the ground. "I'm so sorry!"

Vera stepped over the blade. She kneeled slowly beside the man.

"I'm not right, Vera. I'm dangerous. They're right. They are all right." The man mumbled lowly to himself. He refused to look at her.

Vera figured it all out. Yoshimitsu wasn't upset about the frog. He was upset with his people. The frog was gone. The only reminder of kindness to something different was now gone. At great timing too, as soon as his people lock him up, calling him a monster and dangerous to their clan because of their misunderstanding of the man, because he was different than them all, stronger, older, his physical differences and his introverted lifestyle. They just did not understand the man in hiding.

"Everything will be alright, Yoshimitsu." She whispered softly to him. She hesitated but put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure things out."

"I'm tired." The man spat out. "I'm so tired of being alone…"

"Yoshimitsu." Vera's breath hitched. "You're not alone." She wrapped an arm over his shoulder.

"All alone." He mumbled.

"I'm…here…" She stated quietly. He sensed a type of pain in her voice.

He lifted at the waist, picking himself up off the ground. He leaned to the side and fell against her, wrapping his arms at her waist. Vera toppled on her rear end, hugging him tightly against her. He had burrowed his head against her chest, as if trying to hide inside her.

"You're going to be alright." She whispered to him, running her hand up and down his back. "I promise."

She didn't know how she planned on promising to make things better, but she was going to try all she could.

She sat on the ground, the cold air brushing by every once and a while. It chilled her to the bone, but the man provided some warmth. She kept running her hand over his back, soothing him. Every now and then her eyes fell to the sword lying in the grass. The battle from the night before must have only made it hungrier. She frowned. It seemed such a terrible burden to hold. How on earth was Yoshimitsu going to feed enough energy to that blade?

'It feeds off the previous clan leader's power when he's sacrificed…' Vera closed her eyes. She wasn't going to let that happen.

A soft snore jerked Vera out of her thoughts. Her fingers combed through the man's messy hair. She smiled at how youthful it made him look. He was heavy against her and his arms were losing their grip. He had fallen asleep against her.

'Must've kept him up too late last night. His tired mind took over him.' Vera grinned, playing with his hair. A memory flashed through her head. She was straddling his waist as he sat on the floor, trying to coax him into kissing her. Her cheeks reddened once again. 'I _was_ causing trouble last night.'

Another cold wind blew, dragging leaves and dirt all around. There was a soft rumbled from overhead. More rain seemed to be coming, but judging by the cold air it was possible it'd turn into snow. Vera didn't mind that, as long as she wasn't caught outside in nothing but her pajamas.

"Hrm…" the man twitched.

"Did you fall asleep on me?" Vera asked.

"Hrm?" He slowly lifted his head. The man looked around quietly before he sat up. "What? What are we doing out here?" he mumbled curiously.

"Let's get inside, it looks like it might rain." Vera whispered.

"Snow." He looked up at the sky. He slowly rose to his feet and then helped the woman to hers. He stared at the sword on the ground for nearly a minute before deciding to pick it up.

The two headed back to the living quarters. The trip was silent for the most part. Yoshimitsu opened the door to his room. He looked back at Vera, she seemed to be shivering.

"Well…I guess I should go back…" the woman looked at the fence she had crawled over the night before. 'Maybe that's how I pulled a muscle.'

"You want some tea?" he muttered.

"Um." She looked back at him, her thoughts were distracting her. "Sure, why not." She shrugged.

The two walked into the room. Yoshimitsu looked over at the tiny mess on his floor. Chess pieces were scattered everywhere.

"Must've been some game of chess." Vera laughed aloud to herself. She noticed Yoshimitsu nearly stumble over his own feet.

"…Certainly was." He mumbled. "How'd I get out there?" the man whispered to himself. He set the blade onto the stand above the fireplace.

"The blade." Vera stated quietly. "I think it had a hold on you."

"…I didn't do anything stupid, did I?" he rubbed the back of his head.

"You were angry. Very angry."

"Angry?" he looked at her quickly.

"Rupert's gone." She didn't look him in the eye.

Yoshimitsu stood in place, deep in thought. "That's right."

He felt a wave of new emotions taking over. He felt distraught suddenly. He made sure to back away from the sword. He closed his eyes, trying to remember again. He looked down at his hand, noticing a sharp pain. His hand was cut up and bruised; the armor had been cracked and broken.

"I didn't even see that!" Vera gasped, walking up to the man. She grabbed his hand, studying it. "You could've broken your hand!" she poked it lightly. The man winced. "I'll take a look at it." She led him to take a seat back on the mattress. She began carefully removing the torn glove. "You did a number on your hand, Yoshimitsu! I can't imagine how much it hurts. Hit that tree hard enough to break your armor and tear up your glove." She rambled to herself. Yoshimitsu stared down at her.

"God, Vera. I'm sorry." He mumbled.

"Hm?" she looked up at him curiously.

"I could've hurt you…" The man lowered his head. "The sword, it messes with your mind. It makes me see visions sometimes. But mostly only in my dreams. Haven't slept well these past few weeks. The nightmares have only gotten worse. Seems now it's taking over me even while I'm awake. It's the worst when I'm tired or injured. It seems so much harder to hold back."

"Does this hurt?" Vera asked, pushing on his knuckles.

"Ow. Yes." He continued. "But…you came out there. And you grabbed my sword. I…I thought…"

"It's okay." Vera whispered.

"It made me think that you were-."

"Do you have any bandages?" she interrupted.

"…Yeah." He nodded. He did not move.

"I understand." She said to him finally. "You don't need to explain anything. The doctor already has done that. I don't care what you say or do, but you need to get rid of that thing."

"I can't." he wiggled his injured fingers slowly.

"It's killing you, Yoshimitsu. That thing is the cause of most of your problems… past and present." She added.

"…" he did not reply.

"I worry the next time it decides to take over. What will you see next? What will it make you do?" Vera's fingers trailed over his.

"Turn me into the monster everyone thinks I already am." He sighed, pulling his hand away.

Vera listened to him this time.

"They think I'm something to fear. My costumes and ways were supposed to only scare the enemy. It seems I have pushed everyone close to me further away. I feel…"

"Lonely?" Vera asked.

He looked at her.

"That's what you said earlier."

"Yeah." He nodded slowly. "Alienated."

"It's not too late, Yoshimitsu." Vera whispered.

"It's far too late. I don't think there's anyone left in this camp that has seen my real face."

"Doesn't mean you can't start now." She patted him on the shoulder.

"I fear it would only make things worse. You see, I'm supposed to be old." He mumbled.

"Not everyone's that stupid, Yoshimitsu." Vera gave him a smile. "There are people out there who really believe in you. They appreciate all you've done for your clan and they appreciate you as their friend."

"Not many."

"More than none."

He stared at her, amazed she cared enough to try and make him feel better. He didn't get it. No one ever tried so hard to make him feel human, normal.

"I was ready to just give up." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"I know."

"You could tell?" he stared at the fireplace.

"Didn't I give you a hard time about that last night?" she asked.

"…Yeah." He mumbled quietly.

"It's weird…I don't remember much from last night. You beat me too many times last night, Yoshimitsu."

"…You drank too much last night." He replied quickly.

"Well now, I wouldn't say that. I can hold my alcohol pretty well."

"Can you?" He reached for the tea pot resting beside the mattress. He poured himself and Vera a cup of tea.

"I say my judgment's usually unhindered by alcohol. I can make good decisions." She nodded her head confidently.

He gave a low chuckle. "That so?" He lifted his mask enough to expose his lips. He sipped from the cup. Vera looked straight forward with determination. Her eyes watched the flames in the fire.

"Yeah! I've never done anything stupid enough that I'd regret." She made a strange face. "But there is one thing that's been bothering me."

"Hm?" he brought the small mug back to his lips.

"My leg hurts…feels like I pulled something, but I don't remember how I did it." She looked down at her leg.

Yoshimitsu choked on the warm liquid.

"What?" she looked at him.

The man coughed, pulling his mask back down.

"What!?" he looked at her, answering her question with the same one.

"My leg…it hurts." She held her leg high up on her thigh. "Maybe it's bruised…" her hands lifted her waistband to get a look at her bare thigh. Yoshimitsu turned his head away. "You know…it does look bruised."

Another memory flashed through Vera's head.

"_Ow!" she gasped loudly. _

"_What!? Did…I hurt you?" Yoshimitsu asked her, his eye's held a worried look. His tight grip released quickly from her thigh. _

"_Don't stop!" She pulled him against her chest, her leg wrapping around his waist. _

'Oh…' She quickly let go of her waistband, pursing her lips together.

"Must've just banged it on something." She laughed nervously.

'Nice choice of words Vera…' she closed her eyes, her brow furrowing.

"…" Yoshimitsu she noticed was very rigid. He didn't say anything and he suddenly seemed very interested in his cup of tea.

"Anyways!" Vera cackled loudly. "Um…" she thought a moment. Her eyes brightened. "I just got an idea!"

Yoshimitsu looked at her. He wondered how on earth her little mind worked from one subject to another.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly how we'll pull it off, but I'm sure you can think of something, after all you're the ninja." She set her tea on the floor, chatting excitedly. "We need to get into the Zaibatsu! We can get in there, find my documents. Then the doctor and I can finish that machine for you!" he gave her an exasperated look.

"Don't give me that look!" the woman sighed. "Listen, it's a good plan! We can get out of here, steal the document, that's where you come in, and then we can do something…uh like fake my death! Ya know, to break off the Zaibatsu's attention on me. I think I have someone on the inside who will help us. And what would be nice is if we could…" she took a deep breath. He stared at her, looking tired, as if wondering how her mind was processing things. "As much as I don't want to, but attract Bryan Fury's attention. Lead him here, to the hideout. If we can shut him down somehow…your part again, um, then maybe we can hide him here. What better place for Bryan Fury to be decommissioned, right? In a place where no one can find him! You know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer!" She gave a nervous giggle.

Yoshimitsu stared at her.

"Eh, stupid idea, never mind." She sighed, resting her chin on her knees. "Watch too many movies…" she grumbled.

"No." Yoshimitsu shook his head. "That actually…is a great idea."

"It is?" she asked hopefully.

"It might actually work." The man stood from his seat.

"Really?" She stood as well, following him as he paced back and forth, thinking.

"Yeah." He nodded once, twice. "Yeah, it just might work."

"Really!?" She hopped up and down.

"Hm…" he frowned.

"What?" she went over the plan in her head again. "It's sneaking out, isn't it? That's gonna be tough." She thought as well, her finger on her chin. "Not sure how we can pull that off. I mean, you're not very inconspicuous."

"No…we're getting out." He smiled.

"How!? We can't just waltz outta here." She screamed in a whisper, suddenly feeling that they may be spied on.

"We're walking out." The man said nonchalantly.

"There's no way." The woman looked at him incredulously. "They'll notice you as soon as you step foot outside that door.

"Yeah, but…" the man turned to her.

"But…" she repeated.

"They won't recognize the real Yoshimitsu." His hand gripped the mask, tugging it off his face. He grabbed her shoulders, a crooked smile on his face. Vera gaped at the sight.

"Now that…that might actually work." The woman smiled.

* * *

"We'll be at the front gate. No later than sunset, alright? That's when we get moved to living quarters." Masumi whispered to Vera.

"Got it." The woman scientist nodded.

Without another word Masumi disappeared from sight. Vera shut the door behind her.

"What's the plan?" Yoshimitsu murmured watching Doctor Boskonovitch dress his hand.

"Jiro and Masumi are on gate duty. We have only a few hours before they get switched to living quarters. You think we can get out before then?" she sat in a chair beside the operating table.

"Depends. What is our plan?" the ninja stared down at the doctor.

"You said you need to fake her death, correct? Well I have a simple idea that should work. We just need to work on some timing is all." Dr. B situated his glasses on his face.

"Timing?" Vera leaned back in the chair.

"There was a toy I was messing with the other day, hologram. If we could get high enough quality and perfect timing then you can fake your death without being hurt at all."

"I see." Vera grinned.

"Hologram?" Yoshimitsu grabbed his wrapped hand, he wiggled his fingers slowly.

The doctor stood from his seat and wandered to the corner of the room.

"You know…for having such high technology in that suit, you don't know much." Vera muttered under her breath.

"I was born nearly a century ago…" He snapped back.

"Right." Vera looked at the doctor. "But so was he!"

"…" the ninja folded his arms, looking the other way stubbornly.

"Don't pout." Vera waved a finger at him.

"I only know about the things my suit can do…that's all."

"Well, if you think about it, you're camo is kinda like a hologram."

"How so?" the man looked down at her.

"Well instead of hiding something that's really there, a hologram shows something that really _isn't_ there." She tried her best to explain to him in a way he'd understand. "So I could be in the same room with you, but actually not be there."

"A fake image of you?" he asked.

"Right! But it's like video. We can record me moving and talking and replay it through the hologram."

"I see." He murmured. "And that's how we're going to fake your death?"

"Correct." She nodded once, looking out the corner of her eye at the approaching doctor.

"I've been trying to find a use for this for many years now. I'm glad it's come to use for you two." The doctor chuckled quietly to himself. "Well, now. Shall we get started?"

"The sooner the better." Vera sighed, standing from her chair. "Well…" her hands slapped together. "What shall I do?"

The doctor positioned the small device on the table beside Yoshimitsu. The ninja looked down at it curiously. He poked it with a finger.

"Don't touch." Dr. B slapped the man's hand.

"This little thing is going to make an image of Vera?" He asked.

"Precisely." Dr. Boskonovitch grabbed Vera's shoulders, guiding her around the table and more toward the center of the room. He stared at the device and positioned her more to face sideways. "Better view. Doesn't leave as many mistakes." His finger pointed to the corners of the room. There were a number of cameras set up, all pointed at Vera. "Helps make it more three-dimensional."

The doctor walked back to the device and pushed a small button on top. He faced Vera again. She looked at him uncertainly.

"Go." He waved at her. She moved awkwardly. "Play dead."

'This is going to be interesting…' Yoshimitsu leaned forward, watching the young woman.

Vera closed her eyes and stumbled forward. She groaned loudly and plopped to the floor in a dramatic heap. Her body lay still a minute, the two men staring at her. One eye slid open.

"Did…that work?" she asked.

There was a soft applause coming from the operating table. Vera sat up, frowning.

"Most entertaining thing I've seen all day." the ninja chuckled.

"Let's see you do better!" Vera huffed.

"Now, now Vera…You don't have to make any noise when you die, the security cameras won't pick up audio anyways." The doctor approached her. "It was, well…good. But I think we can do better."

"I'm not a very good actress." She grumbled.

"Now…let's imagine, shall we?" he grabbed her shoulders again, twisting her to face sideways again. "You're in the lab, looking for files…ok? We have to make this believable somehow. Ah yes!" the doctor walked away and grabbed a few papers. He slapped them into Vera's slender hands. She gave him a curious look. He walked back a couple steps, scrutinizing her. "Yoshimitsu?" he bobbed his head toward the man. Yoshimitsu stared at the small device. He happily poked the record button. The doctor continued. "You accidentally drop the papers, you see? You bend down to pick them up…" Vera abruptly dropped the papers and bent down to pick them up. "No! Not now! You do that in real life." He waved his hands. Yoshimitsu poked the device again, ending the recording. "So when you bend down, you set down the device, push play and then you're holographic image will stand up and then you will be stabbed by Yoshimitsu. Got it?"

Vera nodded quickly. "So, I stay down here and then you start recording. I'll stand up and look at some files and then be stabbed, and then I'll fall back down again."

"And when your image falls Yoshimitsu will bend down and lift up your real body and carry you out of the lab facility." The doctor nodded.

"You have to carry me!" Vera grinned. Yoshimitsu shook his head.

"She's too heavy." He complained. "I'll pull something."

"What!?" Vera growled.

"My, have you two become siblings?" Dr. Boskonovitch sighed. "Let's record. We haven't' too much time. Vera, you know how Yoshimitsu will kill you?"

"By stabbing me in the back." She muttered through gritted teeth. Her eyes glared at the said man playfully.

"Ok. Yoshimitsu, you have to stab her in the back, don't forget." The doctor pointed a finger at the warrior.

"Sure…" he nodded once. "Think I can easily manage that."

"Just make sure it's the hologram and not the real me." She grumbled.

"Vera." The doctor cleared his throat. "Recording in one…two…three…" he pushed the record button.

Vera waited another second and then stood, shuffling the papers in her hands to straighten them out. She lifted her head to look forward and then her mouth dropped open.

"Good, you're very surprised!" the doctor nodded.

"Arch your back, you're in pain…" Yoshimitsu added; his tone was serious. Vera stuck out her chest, arching her back drastically. She winced, frowning. "Now look down at the sword…look more shocked. I just stabbed you…" She lowered her head, her eyes widening as she imagined the green glowing blade through her middle. "I pull it out, you move back with it a little…" She sunk forward a bit; acting like the sword had been pulled out of her. "It was a vital organ. You won't last long standing." Her feet shuffled forward once, her hand covering the imaginary wound. "Good…Fall." She dropped hard onto her knees and collapsed onto the ground. "Now you're dead…" his voice was quiet. He hung his head, not saying anything else.

Doctor Boskonovitch pushed the device once again. "Great! That would do nicely! Just nicely, my dear!"

"Was it good!?" Vera sat up happily. "Believable!?"

"Ask the coach." The doctor looked over his shoulder at the unmoving Yoshimitsu.

"Did I…do good?" Vera frowned. He was remembering his past, she could tell. "Yoshimitsu!" she moved to her feet, stomping. He jolted out of his daydreaming.

"Hm!?" He lifted his head quickly. "You did alright." He shrugged.

"Alright…" She rolled her eyes.

"Well…you looked dead." He folded his arms.

"I wanna watch it!" Vera skipped to the device. "How do we do that?" she lifted the small machine from the table, sticking her tongue out at Yoshimitsu, a trait she developed from her good friend, Masumi.

"The button on the back. It's what you'd push when you're ready, but you only have one chance. The cameras are sure to pick it up! Make sure you get it right the first time. We'll have to work on the timing, make sure Yoshimitsu doesn't stab you too early or too late."

"I've got it." He murmured.

"Aw, come on!" Vera whined. "I wanna see me die."

'Don't say that…' the man closed his eyes, a shiver was sent down his spine.

"Let's try it at least once." the doctor insisted.

Yoshimitsu shoved off the edge of the table, his armor clanging together as he did so. He pulled out his sword, spinning it a few times. "Ok."

Vera set the machine on the floor and pushed the tiny button on the back. In a flash a perfect image of her appeared before the ninja. He took a step forward and froze.

'Too…real…' Yoshimitsu gaped at the sight.

Vera's crouching form stood. Her shoulders moved as she shuffled the paper in her hands. There was no sound. She paused a moment, that was Yoshimitsu's cue. He lunged forward, the sword penetrating the image. There was no disturbance in the feed. Vera's back arched. He tugged out the sword and Vera pulled back with it then stumbled forward. He watched her, breathing heavily. Her body dropped to the ground, no sound followed and after a second the machine shut off.

'Not real…' the man sighed to himself.

"Perfect timing, as suspected." Doctor Boskonovitch nodded. "No flaws at all in your movements, except that slight pause, but that made it all the more realistic. And you're heavy breathing, very good idea…" the doctor rambled. "Anyone would be fooled, even I."

Yoshimitsu looked at Vera. She was staring at the thin air where her fake body had just been standing. She looked at Yoshimitsu with her open mouth.

"Just like that!?" she gave him a look of disbelief. "I looked so damn real and you just walked up to me and sliced right through me!?"

"It's all in the mind." He shrugged.

"Sure…" She nodded at him sarcastically. "Just make sure you're timing isn't off and you kill me before I even drop the papers…"

"You two are very cynical today. What's with this awful sense of humor?" the doctor shook his head at the two disapprovingly.

Yoshimitsu only shrugged. He looked at Vera. The truth was he did hesitate. The image was too real. It almost hurt him just to stab the image of her. He hoped that he wouldn't make a stupid mistake and end up actually stabbing the real woman.

"Anyways. Here are your things." The doctor threw a bag at Yoshimitsu. "Get yourself changed, but make sure you get into your real uniform before you kill the hologram. But you should change back as soon as possible. I know it'll be difficult on your schedule but the last thing you need is to be noticed by a certain enemy."

"Bryan." Vera frowned. "Almost forgot about him."

"Well, don't." the doctor said gravely. "Even if you happen to have a run in with him, Yoshi, you are not fit for the fight." He reached for a syringe setting on the side table.

"We'll run for it." The ninja changed his clothing from behind an enclosed section of the lab.

"I don't care if you have to steal another car and break through my fence again; you get back here as safe as possible without any injury I'd prefer." The doctor glanced at Vera. He pulled the cap off the needle.

"I didn't know where it was." She sighed.

"You got him back safely, I'm grateful for that." The doctor laughed nervously. "But I don't want any more wounds. You come back safely." He lifted the arm of Vera's jacket and stabbed a needle into her arm, pulling out a vile of blood.

"Ow!" She gave him an incredulous look. He ignored her.

"I'll be fine." Yoshimitsu pulled back the curtain of the area, carrying a very full bag.

"I'm not only talking about you, Yoshimitsu." The doctor narrowed his eyes at the ninja. He tugged the syringe from the woman's vein.

"…" Yoshimitsu glanced at Vera with his green specked eyes. "There's no question about it." His voice sounded through the dark cloth mask over his mouth and nose.

"Good." The doctor handed Vera another small bag, he set the hologram inside along with a few other items in case Yoshimitsu needed immediate repair. "And this…" he added the small tube of Vera's blood. "For 'evidence'." Then she understood. She wrinkled her nose at the thought of having to put that on her clothes and to drip it onto the floor when she 'died'. "We're all set?" he asked.

"I'm ready." Yoshimitsu muttered, tightening the black belt around his waist. He moved around awkwardly in the typical ninja uniform.

"I guess I am too then." Vera took a deep breath.

"I was not pleased at all to hear you were going with him. You know he can figure things out on his own, unlock padlocks and everything without any help." He straightened the jacket Vera was wearing.

"But things will be much quicker if I'm there and besides, what if he gets hurt again? Who's going to drag his beaten ass back here?" she smiled. Yoshimitsu folded his arms stubbornly.

"Such a strong young lady." The doctor chuckled to himself, kissing Vera on the cheek. "I'm so glad he brought you here. You take care of yourself, and my Yoshimitsu. I may be old, but I'm not going anywhere soon and I'd very much like to see you two in one piece when you get back."

"I'll take care of him." Vera promised. The ninja's eyes fed a glare in the woman's direction.

"Can we go now?" Yoshimitsu sighed impatiently.

"Yes, yes, we're going!" Vera waved a hand at the man and headed for the door.

"I mean it Yoshimitsu, you bring her back safely!" the doctor called out as they slipped out the door.

"Yes, yes." Yoshimitsu waved at the old man. "If she keeps her comments to herself." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" She beamed at him, showing her white teeth.

"Nothing." He said in a high tone. A hand went to the small of her back as he led her to the front gate.

"Someone looks happy." Masumi muttered as the two approached her standing guard.

"It's nice to be out and about again." Vera shrugged. She noticed some glaring eyes.

"There are a lot of people who don't like the idea of you leaving the camp." Masumi muttered. "It took a lot of persuading by Jiro and me to get the majorities vote on our side."

"How'd you pull it off?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"Ah…that's where we come to our little problem." Masumi let out a long breath.

"What problem?"

"The only way we could get them on our side was if we said that Vera was to be escorted out of the encampment with a ninja and handed over to the Zaibatsu." Masumi muttered. Her arms folded.

"So I shouldn't look so damn happy should I?" Vera bit her lip.

"Yeah, probably would be a good idea to look a bit more upset about your situation."

"You bastards!" Vera screamed loudly, gaining a lot of attention from the center grounds.

"And…not attract too much attention." Masumi held her forehead.

"Sorry…" Vera said quietly.

"Well, that's a good start to this impossible mission." Yoshimitsu sighed.

"What happens when I come back?" Vera asked.

"Working on that…" Masumi sighed.

"You can't." Yoshimitsu said quickly.

"What?" Vera looked over her shoulder at the man.

"Not until everything's fixed." Yoshimitsu frowned.

"Yoshimitsu…Jiro and I will think of a plan. I mean…you can't leave Vera out there-." Masumi began.

"I'll settle things. You and Jiro have done more than enough for us. It's time we solved our own problems." The man replied coolly.

"Heh heh…" Vera patted Yoshimitsu on the shoulder. "He's a bit grumpy today, didn't get his breakfast. How 'bout when we get back, you let us know what our position is." Vera grinned. She turned to Yoshimitsu. "What are you doing!?" she hissed. "You're just going to abandon me!?"

"We'll talk later…" the man ground out.

"Don't come back till we're on guard again. Anyone else sees you, it's all over. We'll be on duty again before sunrise. Don't come any earlier. Jiro and I will try to keep watch sooner, maybe even try to leave the compound unnoticed, but you know how hard that will be since we're expected to be your guard." Masumi talked in almost a whisper. "There's a horse outside. Jiro and I got it out this morning."

"My horse?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"Yup." Masumi nodded.

"We must take leave; too many eyes are on us." Yoshimitsu looked from side to side.

"They all are probably wondering who that mysterious handsome man is escorting Vera." Masumi winked. She opened the gate a few feet to let the two pass through.

"Much more attention than I had wanted to attract." The man sighed. He and Vera walked through the gate. A giant black Clydesdale awaited the couple outside.

"He's gorgeous!" Vera squealed.

"Yoshimitsu, I've gotta say." Masumi called after them. He looked over his shoulder at her. Masumi smiled widely. "You look much younger than I had imagined."

"Ah…" Yoshimitsu gave a sheepish laugh. "I age well…" he turned and mounted the horse.

"You two come back safely. And, Vera, I have many questions to ask!" she winked again.

"Oh…" Vera blushed; Yoshimitsu gave her a strange stare. "Okay!" she cheered, embarrassed.

Masumi waved a quick goodbye. She slid the door shut behind her.

"Hand." Yoshimitsu stated, reaching down to the woman.

Vera's eyes stared at the sight before her. Yoshimitsu didn't look as frightening in his ninja uniform as he did in his armor and masks. The Clydesdale was a giant animal and it almost made him look small without the bulk of the costume. Still, he matched the horse with his bright eyes and dark uniform.

Vera reached up timidly. He grabbed her hand and tugged, lifting her onto the saddle in front of him. His arm wrapped around her securely holding her against him safely. Vera did admit, she felt awfully safe and warm in his arms. And she knew she was blushing, she was just happy her back was to him so he couldn't see. Yoshimitsu slapped the reigns. The horse took off at a steady trot, its hooves clacking against the ground rhythmically.

"Ready to die?" Yoshimitsu asked. His voice was low and warm as he whispered into her ear.

"I was born ready." She replied with enthusiasm.

* * *

'This isn't right. I knew something was up. Masumi can't be trusted. I know that woman…she's very unfaithful.' Daisuke glared, watching the female ninja guarding the gate.

'Seems I'll have to take a closer look. Wouldn't want any trouble for the Manji Clan.' The man smirked as he leapt over the fence, following the path the giant black horse had run down only moments before.

* * *

OK, ending it here for tonight. I'm sorry about the delay guys, been soo busy! And no…I didn't edit this chapter so sorry if there are bad mistakes in here ill edit it tomorrow. I'm just too tired to do it right now and I didn't want to wait another day longer before I posted this. So anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis

PS- well the damn sites down right now so I went ahead and edited it…but I'm sure there's still mistakes.


	13. Chapter 13

Hello! I'm SO sorry for the delay! This is the longest wait for any chapter I've ever written! Been really stressed, out of motivation and also works been causing problems and then last weekend I was in KS visiting family and friends. But! I finally got to sit down and continue! I just hope I didn't lose any readers! Stick with me, there's no way I'm walking away from this story. Anyways, enjoy this new chapter! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 13**

Breaking into the Mishima Zaibatsu was much easier than Vera had figured. It amazed her how simplistic the ninja made it look. Mishima was the richest corporation in the world and they had the best in security technology. Yet, Yoshimitsu slipped in more gracefully than a cat. There were no alarms, there were no guards on their tail in fact the place was deadly silent.

"It's-." Vera whispered to the man beside her.

"Down the hall and to the left, I know." He muttered slowly as he slinked across the floor and pressed himself against the wall. He dropped the bag onto the floor and grabbed his helmet that lay inside. Vera watched intently as the man slipped on his armor and typical garb.

"Not very modest are we?" She raised a brow as he tore of the top of his black uniform before her.

"Hm?" he looked at her quickly and then down at his bare chest. He gave a quick shrug. "Nothing you've never seen." He continued where he left off.

Vera hid the tiny smile that crossed her blushing face. She kept a look out for patrolling guards as Yoshimitsu finished changing. Much to her relief there wasn't a sound or hint of movement.

"Strange…" She mumbled.

"What is?" an electronic voice sounded from beside her. Yoshimitsu had secured his helmet and had his suit activated.

"I was sure we'd run into some trouble while we were in here." She looked from side to side, nervous. "You don't think they know we're in here and are planning a surprise attack?"

Yoshimitsu placed a hand on his hip, adjusting his weight to one side. "Doubt it. I've never run into any trouble the many times I've been in here. This place has always had poor security." He moved his arms, testing out the suit. "Besides, I took out all the soldiers not too long ago." There was smugness to the man's voice. Vera only shook her head at him. He certainly had changed in the short time she had known him. He seemed much younger and not so proper. She was beginning to wonder if the change was good or not.

"Let's move on." His low voice sounded, interrupting the woman of her thoughts. She turned to him and found that he was already on the move.

The warrior came to a halt beside a doorway. He lifted his sword and cut through the wall behind him, disarming the camera on the other side. Waiting a moment, he stared at the floor as if in deep thought. Vera watched him quietly, observing his movements. His feet tapped impatiently. What was he waiting for? The woman was about to speak when a militant walked around the corner of the doorway. There was no hesitation. Yoshimitsu stood, leaning against the wall casually as he drove his blade into the man's stomach. There was a silent grunt from the man. Yoshimitsu tugged out his blade, rotated the soldier and laid him flat on his back onto the floor. He looked over his shoulder at Vera; her face was as pale as the white walls. His hand lifted slowly, waving her toward him. She trotted quietly to him, carefully stepping over the man on the ground.

"That was close." She whispered softly.

"Heard him a mile away..." the ninja replied.

The two entered the room on the left, the door sliding open. In an instant Yoshimitsu grabbed Vera and tugged her roughly in front of him.

"What're you-!?" her loud words were cut off by Yoshimitsu's hand. His green, blood stained sword rose to her throat. Goosebumps spread over her skin. Her thoughts went a million miles a second.

'What's he doing? Was this all part of his plan!? What if I was being used? This was all a lie!? He wouldn't hurt me…' She blinked slowly, trying to gather her thoughts. Her wrists hurt as he squeezed them together tightly behind her back.

"Vera!?" a male voice sounded from within the room. The woman lifted her gaze to the center of the room.

"David…" she whispered numbly. The male scientist was working late. On what project, Vera had no clue. The point of the matter was, he saw them and now their plan would have to play out differently.

"Don't move, or the woman dies." Yoshimitsu's voice sounded. It was cruel and harsh.

"Let her go!" David dropped the files in his hands.

The sword was pulled in closer, grazing her throat. She leaned back, trying to push away from the weapon. The man only held her tighter.

"The key mechanism, unlock it." Yoshimitsu tilted his head to the side, pointing at the door on the left side. It was the vaulted room that contained all files and evidence from previous experiments.

"What is it you want?" David held his spot on the floor.

"Don't ask questions David!" Vera spat out quickly. "He only wants one thing."

David narrowed his gaze, glaring at the man who held Vera so roughly. "I thought you were a charitable man, not just a murderer. Perhaps the military was right about you." David walked slowly to the door, tugging out his keycard. Vera felt Yoshimitsu shuffle uncomfortably. "I was sure she'd be in good hands staying with your clan…but…I suppose I was wrong." He shoved the door open and stepped to the side. "Your room is unlocked, let Vera go."

"Can't do that." Yoshimitsu stated sternly. Another glare was fed his way.

"I can gather all the data you need, leave her out of this. She's done nothing to deserve this treatment." The man stood his ground.

'Oh, shy and quiet David…Now you turn into a hero!?' Vera tried hard not to show her aggravation towards the man.

"You're taking unnecessary risks that could cost both of your lives." Yoshimitsu hissed. He looked to the right; there was another room off to the side. It was a lab, all windows so people could observe the progress of the experiment. "Here's what's going to happen." Yoshimitsu spoke up, straightening himself to look all the more threatening. "You're going to unlock that room."

"Why this room?"

"Damn it, David! Just do it!" Vera screamed.

The man jumped at the sound of her voice. "O, OK." He grabbed the keycard and unlocked the room. Yoshimitsu, not wanting to waste anymore time, shoved Vera into the vaulted room and darted toward David, grabbing the keycard from his hand as he shouldered him into the opposite room. "Hey!" the man shouted as he hit the floor hard. Yoshimitsu closed the door behind him, locking it. David pounded on the windows and looked about for his key, his hands patting at his pockets. The ninja gleefully tapped the corner of the keycard against the window, alerting the man's attention. He waved his fingers and returned to the other room where Vera searched for the files they needed.

"That wasn't in the plan." Vera sighed in a huff.

"No one mentioned the possibility of co-workers hanging around in the middle of the night." Yoshimitsu helped her rummage through the files. He looked out the corner of his eye through the bullet proof glass window. He could see through to the other room, David throwing a fit. Yoshimitsu chuckled quietly to himself.

"What?" Vera raised her head. She saw what was so funny. She turned her head to the side, hiding her giggle. "Poor David! He's never going to live this down…"

"Too bad your hero is going to have to watch you die." Yoshimitsu mumbled quietly.

"That's creepy…" Vera murmured. "Perhaps you should look a bit more hostile he's probably wondering why you suddenly aren't being so harsh with me. By the way, that hurt." She muttered through gritted teeth.

"It had to be convincing." The man sighed.

"Did you have to nearly break my wrists?" she hissed.

Yoshimitsu pressed up against her, shoving the hilt of his sword against the small of her back. "You liked it though, didn't you?"

"I'm going to kill you when were through with this mission." Vera cursed silently to herself. What was with him today? Her hands ran over a metal lock box. "Oh! There it is!" She shoved a group of papers off the top of it.

"Hurry…" Yoshimitsu mumbled. He looked to the side. From their position the camera would catch everything perfectly. He was sure that whatever security was watching, they'd be on their way in no time.

Vera fumbled with the lock, entering the code. It snapped open. She went through the files, making sure everything was there. She shuffled them in her hands as Yoshimitsu took a few steps back, slowly slipping his blade from its sheath. The pieces of paper slipped from Vera's hands and scattered across the floor. Yoshimitsu turned his head to look at David who seemed to be panicking. A smile formed over his face.

"No! VERA! VERA!!" David banged his hands against the window as hard as he could. He pulled and tugged on the door handle. He called out frantically over and over again to no avail.

Vera knelt down. Her body disappeared a moment before she stood again, re-shuffling the papers in her hands.

"Don't you dare!" David growled, giving Yoshimitsu a hateful glower.

The ninja gave a quick tilt of the head as he twirled the blade around playfully. He stepped forward, watching Vera's back. With a quick lunge, Yoshimitsu drove the sword into Vera's back. David screamed, watching in horror as Vera arched her back, her mouth gaping in pain. He tugged the blade backward, Vera moving with it. She dropped back to the ground in a heavy heap. Yoshimitsu grabbed all the papers from the ground and dropped them into the lock box. He slammed it shut and slipped the item into his bag. He slung the pouch over his shoulder and crouched, lifting a blood soaked Vera from the ground.

"Dear…God…" David gaped, watching in disbelief.

Yoshimitsu carried a limp and lifeless Vera from the room. Tiny droplets of blood plopped to the floor. Vera's arm swung with each step the man took. Yoshimitsu fiddled with the keycard in his fingers. He made sure to glance at David and feed him a smile, though the man couldn't see it, he felt it.

"You monster…" David cursed. He dropped to the ground, waiting for the guards to come.

'He killed Vera. He stabbed her through the back like a coward. But…right before that she was talking to him.' David rose from his spot on the floor. He stared at the droplets of blood dappling the marble floors. 'Why would he take her body with him?'

The door to the center room he was previously in swung open. Numerous guards came flowing through. One graciously unlocked the door to the lab, letting David out. The scientist immediately shoved his way through into the vaulted room. He stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the small puddle of blood. He knelt down, taking a sample of the blood with the corner of his lab coat.

"Sir, you must leave the area immediately. This is a crime scene." One militant advised.

"I've got to check on one last thing!" David rushed back into the lab facility.

"Sir! If you do not leave this instant, we will escort you out!"

"That woman was my friend!" David shouted angrily. He dabbed the corner of his coat onto a glass plate. He hurriedly worked, adding chemicals and other fluids. He placed the specimen onto a rolling rack. It shoved through into a tiny computer. David pushed a series of buttons. The machine worked quickly. "I have to make sure…" he mumbled to himself. A second later the machine beeped, bringing up a file. Vera's work profile popped up onto the screen, showing her data. Her blood type blinked red and green, showing that the blood indeed matched Vera's. He had a positive ID. Vera certainly had been stabbed. Now, the only question was, why would Yoshimitsu need her body? Had the wound not been that fatal?

"Sir!" the militant argued.

"I need to see the security camera records for the last 20 minutes!" David shoved through the door, his long coat flying behind him. There was something fishy going on, and he was going to find out what.

* * *

"Oh man! I wish I could have seen the look on his face!" Vera squealed.

"It was the look every man gives when he sees someone he cares for die in an unfair way." Yoshimitsu murmured quietly. He was currently removing his armor and sliding everything back into his bag. They were only a few blocks away from the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"Oh…that's just sad…" Vera frowned. "But, it was unfortunate he was there."

"Why is that?" the man grunted, sliding his heavy chest armor over his head.

"David isn't an idiot. He's going to test everything to the best he can. He'll for sure watch those cameras; make sure the blood was mine. I bet he'll be able to tell that the blood hadn't been in my body but a few hours before."

"He's that persistent?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"He worked under me." Vera grinned. "I gave him the hardest time, taught him a lot."

"I don't think that has to do with it." The ninja pulled his mask over his face, back into his black uniform.

"What do you mean?" she raised an eyebrow.

Yoshimitsu turned to her, staring down at her for a silent moment. "That man was in love with you." He turned on his heels and began walking around the warehouse they had parked their steed.

"Oh…" Vera bit her lip. "Well, I hope he isn't too sad about me being gone."

"Hopefully, if your friend figured this all out, he'll keep his mouth shut about it." Yoshimitsu began to tie his sword around his waist.

There was a crashing sound as something fell from the window above them. Yoshimitsu looked forward just in time to see a dark figure falling onto him. A foot collided with the man's face, sending him falling backward into the warehouse. Yoshimitsu's weapon dropped and skidded toward Vera's feet.

"Ah!" Vera covered her mouth. It was a ninja who had attacked Yoshimitsu. The dark clothed man turned quickly, feeding a glare at Vera. "Who are you?"

"What are you doing in the city, Vera?" the voice was all too familiar.

"Daisuke!" the woman gasped.

"Who's your friend over there, hm?" Daisuke looked over his shoulder. Yoshimitsu had scrambled to his feet. He was left completely off guard. His hand rubbed his chin. It had been a very long time since he had let any attack connect perfectly like this one had. It had also been a long time since he had been hit without the safety of his armor. He had almost forgotten what this type of pain felt like.

"Why are you following us?" Vera ignored his question.

"Why would our clan let out this woman? It sure looks like you were prepared to come back, but wasn't the terms you be left and abandoned in the city, food for the Zaibatsu?" Daisuke approached her slowly.

"Since when did the clan elect you their leader? In charge of ordering others around?" Yoshimitsu folded his arms.

"And who might you be? Last I knew we hadn't received any new recruits." Daisuke narrowed his gaze. "You wouldn't happen to be Yoshimitsu?" he laughed heartily.

"Are you insane, Daisuke!? Yoshimitsu is locked up in his room." Vera hollered at the man. Daisuke fed her a suspicious look.

"Yoshimitsu was left at the base, heavily guarded; orders were to infiltrate the Zaibatsu, to gather intelligence data. I used her to get in; she knew all the codes to receive all the files needed. I am to 

return to base with all the information. She is to be dropped off at her living quarters." Yoshimitsu spoke quickly, his voice much younger sounding.

"And I'm to believe you? What's your name? I'll have to detain and question you until I am given notice of this mission."

"Why do you need to know of all missions?" Vera spat.

"Because I am in charge of the clan now!" Daisuke grabbed Vera's arm.

"Don't even think of laying a finger on her!" Yoshimitsu's low growl sounded. He batted Daisuke's arm out of the way.

"You sneaky bastards! How the hell did you get out of the base!? It was Masumi, wasn't it!?" Daisuke went ballistic, screaming and shouting in rage.

"We need to go…" Vera mumbled quickly, her eye on the Zaibatsu. It wouldn't be long before the military, how few soldiers there were, was sent out looking for Yoshimitsu and her.

"No one's going anywhere! We're settling things, right here and right now." Daisuke reached for the sword wrapped to his back.

"We don't have the time, Daisuke; we need to get out of here now!" Yoshimitsu warned.

A low laugh echoed in the darkness of the warehouse. "What's this!? Just when I was about tired of searching!"

"Damn." Yoshimitsu sighed. Things had just gotten a whole hell of a lot worse.

"Who the hell is that!?" Daisuke glanced upward, looking for the voice of the intruder.

"I come here looking for one ninja and I find two! This is going to be much more interesting than I thought."

"Bryan!" Vera screamed. She glared upwards at the darkness. Something heavy dropped from above, landing directly behind her.

"And I also got my doctor here to help me out. This couldn't be any more perfect." Bryan Fury chuckled in Vera's ear, as an arm slinked around her waist, pulling her against him. She gasped and slapped furiously at his hands.

"Bryan Fury? Oh you mean this is the man who killed my father!?" Daisuke asked a little too cheerfully.

Yoshimitsu closed his eyes, thinking. He had to do something. Right now everyone was against him, and Vera was caught in the middle of it all.

"We're going to have to dance a bit." Yoshimitsu grabbed Daisuke and tugged him further into the warehouse. He tossed the confused man backwards and across the ground.

"What the hell!?" Daisuke screamed.

"You want to fight me? Fight me now!" Yoshimitsu held out his arms, looking down at the younger man.

"Not fight, I'm going to kill you!" Daisuke hopped to his feet and dove into Yoshimitsu, tackling him to the ground. Yoshimitsu allowed Daisuke to toss him around a bit, the more movement and turning the better, the easier it will be for Bryan to get confused.

"What's this?" Bryan asked, truly intrigued. "Vera, you have two boys fighting over you?" his laugh was loud and annoying in her ear.

"Let me go…" Vera frowned.

"Now…where is that bastard of an old fart at?" Bryan asked, ignoring the squirming woman in his arms.

"Who?" Vera looked up, playing dumb. He glared downward at her.

"Yoshimitsu!? Where is he!?" he looked forward again. "Unless you want to tell me that one of these young men is really Yoshimitsu?"

Vera smirked, Bryan really was an idiot. The two ninja rolled across the ground and stood to their feet. Simultaneously they pointed a finger at one another. "He is!"

Bryan let out another laugh, shoving Vera out of his way. "I'm not playing your games!"

"He is Yoshimitsu!" They both shouted.

"Now, I know that Yoshimitsu is clan leader, it's very well possible he can just order two of his clan members to follow him out here and cause problems. Let's just get this over with. Where is Yoshimitsu?" Bryan reached behind him and slowly pulled a Remington shotgun into view.

The two pointed again, shaking their heads. It was like seeing a mirror image.

All the while, Vera had grabbed the bag and was heading for the back of the warehouse full speed.

"No you don't!" an arm grabbed the woman. She screamed as she was tugged against one of the ninja's chests. He pulled out a silver sword and held it to her throat. "This woman is always causing problems!" the man yelled.

"What are you doing!?" The other ninja yelled.

"Damn right she is." Bryan scrutinized the man holding Vera. The blade was typical, nothing special. He smiled, pointing the barrel of the shotgun in the face of the other ninja. "And thank you for pointing out which one Yoshimitsu is."

Vera scrambled, struggling with the grip on her wrists. He held them out in front of her against her lower abdomen, as if she were no threat at all. There was a gentle tug. She felt the man's thumb roll over her wrist gently.

"I won't be so rough this time." his low voice whispered in her ear. He pressed against her. Vera's senses were heightened. She could feel his heart beat. Her head rested just below his chin. The warmth of his body was very inviting. She tried to hide the small smile on her face. This ninja was no threat to her.

"He's toying with you!" the second ninja pointed. "He's messing with you!"

"Yoshimitsu never leaves home without his sword!" Bryan grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him from the ground.

"I…I don't have it…" the man choked, reaching for his sword. It wasn't there. "I really…don't have it!"

Bryan looked down; he noticed the ninja had no blade at his waist. He dropped him to the ground roughly and looked him over, the man was unarmed, no blade at the waist and no blade on his back. Bryan turned, yelling. The opposite ninja and Vera were already gone and out of sight without a single sound.

Fury's face contorted into a look of anger and disgust. "I'm going to get you, Yoshimitsu!!" He stomped in a circle, screaming.

"Bastard…" Daisuke fumbled over the word. He stared at the back of the warehouse where the two had obviously exited from.

"…" Bryan looked over his shoulder at the young man sitting on the ground. "I suppose not all of my fun was ruined." He walked slowly, his footsteps echoing in the massive room. His low laughter sent chills down the other man's spine. Bryan lifted his weapon, pointing it at Daisuke once again.

"W, wait!" Daisuke scampered to his feet, holding his hands out, pleading.

"Why should I wait for you?" Bryan squint his eyes.

"B, because…" Daisuke stuttered, looking from side to side as if trying to find a way out. His eyes lit up as the light bulb turned on inside his head. He gave a short chuckle. Bryan lowered his weapon, interested. "You don't know how to get to the clan's base."

"And you can show me?" Bryan raised his chin.

"If you want Yoshimitsu, you're going to need my help." Daisuke straightened his back, brushing himself off.

"And once I get Yoshimitsu…I get Vera." Bryan smirked.

"You can have the little wench." Daisuke growled under his breath.

* * *

"Did you get it!?" Yoshimitsu called over his shoulder. His voice was barely heard over the loud clacking of horse hooves. Tiny white flakes of snow drifted down overhead.

"Picked it up as soon as Bryan entered the fight!" Vera giggled. She traded swords with Yoshimitsu, handing him his glowing green blade once again.

"I think that was the luckiest thing to happen all night. Imagine, me losing my sword like that." Yoshimitsu strapped it to his waist once again.

"I didn't even see you take Daisuke's! That was a quick switch." Vera closed the bag and slipped it over her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Yoshimitsu's middle, holding on tight as the Clydesdale picked up speed. "Poor Daisuke…I hope he didn't suffer too much."

"He deserved worse." Yoshimitsu muttered.

The two rode as quickly as they could back to the encampment. It wouldn't be long before Masumi's second shift would begin and she'd return to the front gate. They had to be back before the sun fully rose and people saw that Vera had returned rather than been abandoned. The thought plagued him.

"How are we getting back in?" Vera asked, dread in her voice.

"Working on that. We're going to have to sneak in. Maybe hide you somewhere."

"You weren't going to let me back inside, why?" She asked the question he was dreading all night. He was honestly hoping she forgot he had even said that.

"I was going to make you stay somewhere else for a while, just until things blew over. I didn't want you to return and have you gone through all of this all over again." Yoshimitsu murmured.

"You were going to ditch me in the city, weren't you!? If those two hadn't intervened…you would have abandoned me!?" she gawked at him.

"No…that's not true." Yoshimitsu sighed. "I wasn't going to abandon you…"

"You were! You were going to leave me out here for 'my own good'." Her sarcasm sounded. "And you were going to return all by yourself and then what were you going to do!? Huh!?" She screamed at his back.

"Vera." He lowered his head.

"You were never going to come back for me! You were going to leave me there. What if the Zaibatsu found me!? What if Bryan had found me!?" she held onto him tightly, but she wanted to do the opposite, push away and smack him upside the head.

"I would have come back…" He whispered.

"You wouldn't have. There's no way you would have packed up and left! You…" Vera stared, wide-eyed at him. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh my God!" she screamed at him, her fist pounding against his back as she yelled at him furiously.

Yoshimitsu clenched the reigns, refusing to look at her. She had figured it out. She was too damn smart for her own good.

"You were going to give up! You weren't even going to try!?" She slapped him on the shoulder as hard as she could. "You were just going to let them kill you! You were!"

"No Vera." He shook his head. "No."

"Don't lie to me!" she screamed, on the verge of tears. "What the hell was all this for!? Taking me to the Zaibatsu, getting all those files, faking my own death! What was it all for!?"

"It was for you, Vera!" Yoshimitsu hollered. "It was for you and only you! To wipe your life clean of all this fighting, death, and torture. You don't deserve a life like this! You're not a ninja! You're not meant to kill. You're not meant to watch people get killed."

"All of this was for me!? Did you really think this would have helped me!? Ditching me and leaving me all alone out there in that big world with no one to go to!? I have no place to go! I have no one in my life! I've been abandoned since I was a child, Yoshimitsu! And you gave me the only home I've ever known!" Her voice was cracking now.

He sank forward, not wanting to hear her anymore.

"And what about you, was this what you really wanted!? Did you really want to leave me out there alone?" She took in a ragged breath. "You…wanted for me to disappear just like that, with no word? No chance of ever seeing you again?"

That was it. He could hear the tears in her voice. He could hear the pain he had caused her. This is why he didn't want to talk about it. He wanted her to forget it. He didn't get the chance to abandon her, truth was, and he actually couldn't go through with it. As he held her 'lifeless' body in his arms he realized that he never wanted to let anything like that really happen. The thoughts plagued him, what if the Zaibatsu found her? Or worse, what if Bryan had found her? He couldn't be a coward and leave her alone, not when he could always be there to protect her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself, knowing he was the cause of her death. Just like Kunimitsu. He may not have literally killed her himself, but if Bryan had ever hurt her it would have been just the same as him doing it to her if he had abandoned her.

"I don't want to." He murmured after a few minutes. "I never want to."

Vera's grip tightened around him. Her fingers clenched the shirt covering his chest. He placed a hand over hers.

"I never want to hurt you, ever again." He entwined his fingers with hers. "I don't want to see you hurt…and most of all I don't want to be the cause of your pain."

Vera sniffled, burrowing her face into him.

"We'll figure things out. Someway, somehow I'll find a way to end all of this." He stared at her hands in his. "I'll make sure you never leave my side…"

* * *

David sat in his chair, twisting and turning from side to side as he watched the security screens over and over again. Every time, it was the same. Vera picked up the papers, Yoshimitsu stabbed her, he picked her up and her blood dripped to the floor. The wound, the position of the sword, the area he hit was critical. If Vera hadn't died right then and there, she would die eventually, there was no doubt about it. David sat up. Yoshimitsu needed the body for some reason.

There was a bleep on his computer, alerting him that the blood analysis was done. David looked over the data; it was just as he had hoped.

"Smart girl…" David grinned. "I knew you wouldn't be dumb enough to get yourself stuck in a situation like that."

With a loud sigh, David watched the security feed one last time. His thumb trailed over the words on the page. The data and numbers showed that Vera's blood had been out of her body for at least a couple hours which meant, that blood hadn't left her body the time she was stabbed.

"You best take good care of her, Yoshimitsu." David slid the data sheet into the paper shredder beside him. "She's something else…"

He sat silently in the room, listening to the sound of the tearing pieces of paper. With one click on the keyboard of his personal laptop, all data on the blood test was gone.

* * *

Okay I'm going to have to end it here for tonight. Not too long but not too short. No worries, I'll have another one for you soon and if I don't, yell at me! Hope you enjoyed this last chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	14. Chapter 14

Hello again everyone! Man, I've seriously been having motivation problems. Don't get me wrong, it's not on this story, but on everything! I think it's the environment, I can't wait to move! And I love my stories; I'm not quitting any of them. I don't quit anything that I've started so no worries. Also, Thunderxtw Thank you so much for that review, I greatly appreciate it! It's nice to hear from devoted readers who stick with stories. And I'm glad you like my action scenes! Thanks for sticking with me and I hope my future chapters also please you! Anyways, let's get on with this new fic, shall we? -Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 14**

"Where have you two been!?" Masumi shouted a whisper as she slid the door open a crack.

"We ran into some trouble." Yoshimitsu murmured, hopping from his horse.

"Three types." Vera groaned as she struggled with the climb down from the massive, dark animal.

"What do you mean?" Masumi narrowed her eyes, not liking at all the sound of any trouble let alone three types.

"Well, there was David who works in the lab, and then there was Daisuke-." Vera counted on her fingers.

"Daisuke!?" the female ninja shouted, her whisper almost too loud.

"-And then Bryan."

"BRYAN!?" Masumi used her full voice. Yoshimitsu cringed at the volume.

"We'll explain later, let us in." Yoshimitsu folded his arms, looking over his shoulder as he did so.

"Vera has to go to the back, so no one sees her." Jiro announced, from above the fence. He was keeping watch from the high deck.

"I've got someone else to help out a bit." Masumi gave an uneasy smile.

"Who?" Vera and Yoshimitsu spoke simultaneously.

"…Kagami."

"What!?" Vera hissed.

"Don't worry. Everything's fine, trust me." Masumi hushed her friend. "Besides, she owes me. Now go quickly, the sun's about to rise."

"Fine, fine." Vera huffed, holding her arms as a chill breeze rushed by.

"Take my horse." Yoshimitsu handed her the reigns. "And hurry."

"Sure." Vera grabbed the leather straps and tugged gently. The black horse followed after her silently.

"How could you let yourself be detected like that!?" Masumi frowned. "Honestly, she's getting into your head way too much. She's a distraction." The woman propped the door open to let the other ninja inside.

"…" Yoshimitsu rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a long sigh. "I know…"

"We'll talk about this later, mister. Get to your room." Masumi placed her hands on her hips, feeding the clan leader a lecture.

"Yes ma'am." Yoshimitsu trudged slowly toward the living quarters.

His head hurt badly, swimming in his malignant thoughts. Even though he was back home, it didn't feel like home. He felt like a hostile sneaking into the enemy's base. Not only was there that, but Bryan and Daisuke also plagued his mind. He should've stayed a moment longer, to see Daisuke's fate. He didn't doubt it one bit if the weasel had somehow managed to hold onto his life for another day.

'Bryan and Daisuke, Best friends.' Yoshimitsu closed his eyes, squeezing the bridge of his nose. Now that was a troublesome thought.

He'd have to mention that possibility to Masumi, though she'd probably already thought of it and has already begun preparations to prevent it.

"I hope…" He mumbled to himself gravely.

He lifted his heavy head, before his door stood a fellow ninja. It was the same boy from the other night. Yoshimitsu had saved his life, shoving him out of the way of the gunfire that had opened up on him from the Zaibatsu military. Yoshimitsu blinked slowly, exhausted. That boy had given him one of those 'scared' looks, the same look Yoshimitsu had grown to hate over the years.

Yoshimitsu did a standard salute. "I'm your morning replacement."

"Hm?" The boy looked down at the man, surprised. He was quiet a moment. "Oh…I see." A small smile crossed his face. "You best be careful, he's always keeping your eye busy."

"I'm sure he is." Yoshimitsu stated slowly, watching the young man relax and step to the side. "Hm…I'm going inside…to check on him, make sure he continues staying out of trouble." He cracked his knuckles loudly. The boy only smiled wider.

"Sounds like a good idea." He patted the older man on the shoulder. "Good to have you back, sir…" he whispered lowly. In one hop he was off the veranda.

"What?" Yoshimitsu turned quickly, staring at the boy in amazement.

"Not everyone's a fool here at the camp; luckily those who aren't are on your side." The boy bowed his head shortly. "I didn't get to thank you for the help the other night. You saved my life, including the whole camps actually. Thank you, sir." He bowed again.

"It's my duty…" Yoshimitsu spoke slowly.

"I've never seen anyone fight quite like you. I was shocked, amazed. Truthfully it was a little scary. You're quite intimidating. I hope I can be like you someday." He grinned again. The boy was barely out of his teens, still young and new at all of this. Yoshimitsu could tell he would grow to be a fine fighter, and a fine man.

"I have faith that you will." Yoshimitsu bowed back. "Now, I should probably get back to my room before someone untrusting shows up."

"Yes sir." The boy nodded. "Masumi will be on guard soon. You're all set." With that being said, the boy disappeared into the center grounds.

Yoshimitsu let out a slow breath. He surely wasn't expecting that. Still, he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face. Maybe Vera was right, there were still people in the clan who understood him. But, he wasn't getting his hopes up that the number was many.

Yoshimitsu slid through the door and shut it behind him silently. He wandered around the room. A fire had been set and there was a warm meal and pot of tea awaiting him. Amazing how quickly his feelings changed and he felt back at home, even though he was still prisoner.

'Rarely left my room the way it was anyways…' the man snorted a chuckle.

He sat onto his mattress, slipping the mask off his face. Slowly, he began removing the rest of his uniform. His toned arms tugged his undershirt over his head. Yoshimitsu had almost forgotten what it was like to wear that uniform. He was used to the heavy armor, masks, and voice modulators. This last mission felt completely different than the rest. He felt unusual. He felt younger.

'But you're still an old man.' He swallowed thickly, feeling an ache in his stomach. His organs felt like they were deteriorating and falling apart as he sat there. 'I'm already decomposing and I'm not even dead yet.' He fell back onto the bed groaning in irritation.

Yet, despite feeling awfully old, he still reminded himself that Vera had done something. She was the cause of him feeling youthful. New emotions and feelings had risen within him the past couple days. Not to mention his body seemed to be reacting to her as well, he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, especially after what happened the other night.

'I made love with a woman who could be young enough to be my great granddaughter.' That thought ruined it for him. He cringed, shivering at the consideration. He'd have to be sure to share that with Vera. Maybe then, she'd understand that they can't possibly stay together.

'She'll hate me forever if I told her that.' He frowned.

Yoshimitsu was at a loss. He felt better than he had in years, if he ignored his broken body. It seemed a lifetime since his heart fluttered, he was sure the organ itself had stopped long ago. He couldn't help himself, he was always somewhat of a flirt, but he found himself unable to control his flirtatious attitude with the young woman. He could make her blush and the sight of her red, embarrassed face only made him want to grin and tease her more. Then there was her angry, flustered face, another reason to continue making her angrier. He did admit they both were incredibly stubborn. But he felt he could win every time. All he'd have to do was hold her against him. That was a new revelation to him. During the mission, he noticed the effect he had on her when he held her roughly against him; his low, demanding voice had sent her chills. Goose bumps had formed on her skin. Also, he couldn't ignore the fact that when he tugged her against him in front of Bryan and Daisuke and he had whispered in her ear, she leaned back into him. Yoshimitsu wondered if she was conscious of that small act. And was she conscious of the effect it had on him?

"Oh…what am I going to do?" He rubbed his face, yawning loudly.

'Make love to her again.' He smirked to himself.

'No. What happened to your honor!? Look at you; you're acting just as you did when you were a mere teenager. Had your father taught you nothing?' He fought with his responsible side, whom he dubbed the 'old man', in his head.

'I know…I'm reckless and look at what it has cost me.'

'Almost gotten you killed numerous times. And now you've lost your people. Are you willing to lose your clan because of some woman?' he groaned again, covering his eyes with an arm as he lay on his back. 'Like you almost had with Kuni.'

"But I always wondered…" He spoke out loud.

'You shouldn't wonder, it causes problems.' He imagined staring at his own image. He was being lectured by his masked self as he lay there, bare, his true self.

"I lost Kunimitsu and about died. Now that I'm alive again…I want to see where the other road will take me." He mumbled quietly.

'Reckless! Disrespectful! Dishonorable! You've turned into a floozy!'

'Floozy…' he laughed aloud. 'That was a good one…' His white teeth showed as he grinned widely.

_CRASH_!

A loud explosion of sound erupted from outside.

'Damn!' He sat up from bed, grabbing the bag on the floor and pulling out his armor. Screams followed and it didn't take long before he heard the familiar sound of gunfire.

* * *

"These are perfect, Vera!" Dr. Boskonovitch raised his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "My, I'm such a fool! How simple it was! How could I have forgotten something like that!?"

"What? You mean, you can finish it!?" Vera hopped on the balls of her feet excitedly.

"Of course! Of course! I…I think I have that in the back. Oh, my dear! We'll have Yoshimitsu better in no time!" the doctor scurried to the machine off to the side of the room. He immediately began unplugging and plugging in different cords.

"How long, how long!?" She bit her lip, smiling as she watched the doctor hurry and add small pieces here and there to the machine.

"Oh, Vera. I think I should be able to finish this blasted machine by tonight!" The man said happily. "I can't believe how simple it is. I really am an old fool! Forgetting the simplest things at my age." He shook his head. The man was smiling greater than Vera had ever seen. He was undoubtedly excited about his work.

Vera shrugged; she had no idea what he was talking about. She'd have to re-read everything in those documents just to begin to understand the machine. It had taken her and a team of ten just to build the thing in six months. Dr. B had figured it out all on his own; the only thing that was holding him back was one word, a reminder of the past when he created the annoying thing. He really was a genius, ahead of his time.

_CRASH_!

"What was that!?" Vera watched the closed door of the lab in fear. She looked back at the doctor, noticing he had the same worried look on his face. Immediate chaos broke out. There were screams and then gunfire. It sounded like the apocalypse just came.

* * *

"Say Masumi…" Jiro spoke after minutes of dead silence.

"What, Jiro." Masumi responded, keeping a wary eye on the outside. Something was bothering her. It was way too silent out there. Her eyes continued staring out the small hole in the fence. She narrowed her gaze, what she was trying to find, she wasn't sure but she felt like she was looking for the invisible man. She frowned. Were her greatest fears about to come true or was she just worrying about nothing?

"Uh…" Jiro turned around a moment to look down at the woman standing on the ground. He was upon a raised deck, keeping watch over the fence. He leaned against the wall. "What are your plans for tonigh-aaagghh…?" A shuriken flew over the fence, slicing at the man's neck. Jiro toppled over the side and fell hard onto the leaf covered ground.

"Jiro!" Masumi dropped to the ground beside the man. He had a deep cut on the side of his throat. Blood seeped from the wound, staining the ground beside him. "Medics!" she screamed loudly.

There was a loud sound, something cracking and booming. It sounded much like gunfire and then it was followed by another sound.

_CRASH!_

The front gate exploded inward on itself, splinters of wood spraying over the woman and her injured friend.

* * *

"Well, there it is…" Daisuke held out a hand, revealing the invisible village to Bryan. The two hid, crouching, behind a grouping of trees and bushes.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Bryan fed the ninja an angry glare.

"No." Daisuke grinned. Bryan decided he hated this man's smile. "Fiber-optic camo. Much like the kind Yoshimitsu uses. The door is right there.

"Well, what the hell are we waiting for!?" Bryan began to stand from his place. Daisuke's hand rested on his shoulder.

"Hold it. You're not very stealthy are you?" the ninja laughed. Bryan frowned again. He looked at Daisuke's hand and then at his face. "You can't just rush in there, they have lookouts." Daisuke glanced at Bryan's missing arm. There was a hole, revealing mechanical parts beneath his skin. The ninja shuddered at the sight. "By the way, what happened to your arm?"

"…Yoshimitsu…" Bryan spoke slowly, seething with intolerance. He was really running short on patience with this man.

"Cowardly bastard." Daisuke shook his head. Bryan raised his eyebrows.

"Not as cowardly as someone else I know." The robotic man growled in irritation.

"Watch." Daisuke spat out in anger, ignoring the other man's comment. He slipped a shuriken from his pocket. "I'll hit the lookout; you break in through the front. You got to act quickly, they'll be after you." He chucked the small weapon through the air with ease. There was a scream and a thud. Daisuke smiled at what sounded like Masumi's frantic voice.

'That'll teach her…' his cocky grin showed beneath his mask.

"Appreciate it." Bryan murmured as the two stood. He pulled his .50 Cal. Desert Eagle from its holster and without another moment's hesitation, aimed it at Daisuke and pulled the trigger. The young man didn't even have a time to react before the bullet penetrated his body, sending his now lifeless body to the ground in a heavy heap. "Say hello to your father…" a maniacal laugh sounded from Fury.

Bryan strode to the fence, kicked once and tore the gate from its hinges. There was an explosion of sound as he did so. Splinters of wood cracked and sprayed outward. He lifted his automatic M60 and 

opened fire on the crowd of rushing ninjas. There was no mercy shown. He just waved the weapon from side to side, hitting anybody that moved across the landscape. He looked to the side; a female ninja lay over an injured man on the ground, protecting his body.

'How cute…' Bryan smirked. 'Now, where's that old bastard at?' his eyes trailed over his new battlefield.

"Looking for someone?" a familiar mechanical voice rung out in Bryan's ear. The source of the sound came from right before him.

A glowing green light zipped through the air at Bryan. The man side stepped, the tip of Yoshimitsu's blade grazing the side of his face. Yoshimitsu followed through, carrying it across. Bryan ducked, reaching upward and dropping his weapon. His hand caught Yoshimitsu's.

"Why don't you stop hiding like a coward and really fight me?" The American chuckled lowly.

"…" The two stood in silence a moment. "So be it." Yoshimitsu's form appeared out of thin air. He watched Bryan carefully. There was something about his smirk that the ninja did not like. They continued their stalemate. Bryan had a hold of Yoshimitsu's sword. If he let go, Yoshimitsu would be able to follow through, not giving the other man the time to dodge. Yoshimitsu glared.

"Where's Daisuke?" He growled in a low tone.

Bryan answered with a laugh, one that echoed in the midst of the chaos. Yoshimitsu's glance darted to the side momentarily. Ninja were scrambling about, even though Bryan was the only intruder. They were rushing to save their injured friends. Some were dragging the dead away. Medics frantically tried to stop bleeding wounds and mothers and fathers rushed indoors to protect their children. Then he noticed Masumi and Jiro. He felt a jolt in his insides. Masumi hollered softly to Jiro, trying to keep his attention on her. Yoshimitsu could see the tears in her eyes. Her hands were clamped around the man's throat, covered in blood. Jiro was struggling, his hand resting on her arm. And despite his injury he managed to whisper an 'are you okay' to the woman. Medics rushed in and lifted the man onto a stretcher, hurrying away. Masumi's hand dropped from his.

"Disposed of the little bastard." Bryan continued laughing, the atrocious sound reverberating in Yoshimitsu's mind.

"You've…hurt my friends…" Yoshimitsu murmured.

"He had it coming. Like you care, he was a traitor anyways." Bryan tugged on the sword, trying to get it away from Yoshimitsu.

"My family…" the ninja fumbled over the words. His head was clouding over. He was beginning to get dizzy.

"Are you listening to me!?" Bryan cursed, hating how Yoshimitsu could brush off his words.

"How'd you get here!?" Yoshimitsu suddenly shouted, sending a jump of surprise out of Bryan. Yoshimitsu pushed forward, trying to continue his attack.

"The brat!" Bryan hissed through gritted teeth. "He showed me the way…and I thanked him with a bullet to the face!" the man bent forward cackling out loud in Yoshimitsu's face.

"…" Yoshimitsu was shocked. Daisuke would go far enough to put the entire clan in danger for just Yoshimitsu's life. And in the end, he received the same fate as his father. He lowered his head, mustering all the strength he had to keep from having an outburst. He felt the pulsing heat of the blade as it grew brighter and brighter. "This ends now Bryan!" the man stepped forward, shoving the blade forward. Bryan's eyes widened as he stepped back quickly, his feet shuffling. He kept his arms out, trying to keep the blade from penetrating him. He only pushed back with more strength. The two stumbled to a halt, not the most impressive fight.

"I'll finally get to laugh in the face of your dead body!" he spat back in retort.

"ODA!" A female voice sounded in the background.

'Oh no.' Yoshimitsu felt his heart jump nearly from his chest. His eyes fell onto Bryan's.

"What are you doing!? Get inside! Your mother is looking for you!" Vera's far away voice sounded from housing. She had been drug out of the safety to once again help Oda. Sadly, she was noticed by the enemy.

Bryan Fury's eyes fell onto Vera's form. A sick smile formed over is lips.

"D, don't…" Yoshimitsu stammered.

"I've already won this match." Bryan Fury's dark words were coated with amusement.

With swift movement, more graceful than anyone would think capable of the large man, Bryan tugged the weapon forward, letting the blade scratch his insides. His hand removed from Yoshimitsu's and reached down to lift the m60 from off the ground. Yoshimitsu tugged and tugged on his weapon, trying to pull it from the man's body.

'Not again…' His eyes fell on Bryan's weapon, fear rushing over his senses. Yoshimitsu did the only thing he could think of; he turned and sprinted toward housing. Bryan's laughter followed after him and so did the sound of gunfire.

"VERA!!" He shouted, but it was too late.

Vera was rushing back to her room. Yoshimitsu's voice had alerted her attention. She spun around, her mouth gaping. She watched as Yoshimitsu waved his arms in the air, Bryan Fury stalking slowly behind him, bullets blazing. _Chunk, chunk, chunk_, the gun exploded with bright flashes from the barrel. The next thing she knew, she was falling backward and hard against the wall and dropping to the floor, her legs giving out. Her senses were confused. She was scared, but then felt very sick. She wanted to run, but 

couldn't move. Then she realized she wasn't still standing. She was lying on the floor. She felt cold, her body twitching and shaking. She wanted to vomit when she noticed the thick red pool around her, seeping quickly from her wounds. Her grey eyes fell on Yoshimitsu. He dropped hard to the ground, on his knees. His hands shook as they covered his masked face. He curled inward on himself, his hands dragging down his body and resting on his stomach. Those piercing red pupils stared back at her. Vera tried to smile at him, glad he was okay. But nothing responded anymore. All the noises blurred together. There was a scream, someone yelling her name. There were footsteps, some getting louder as if they were coming toward her, more gunfire, more yelling, confusion all around. Out of all of them, she recognized Yoshimitsu, the last sound she heard before her sight fell to darkness. He sounded like he was crying. He was yelling to her, but she couldn't respond. She couldn't even look at him anymore. Everything fell into black, the last thing she could see were the glowing red pupils of Yoshimitsu's mask and quickly they too had faded.

Yoshimitsu sat on the ground, speechless. Vera wasn't moving. There was a massive hole in her middle, the bullets had shredded into her. There was too much blood, her clothing already soaking it up. Masumi, who has rushed to her aid immediately after Jiro was taken in by medics, was frantically calling out to her, sitting on her knees, not caring about the thick red liquid she was in. Her hands held onto Vera's shoulders. The female ninja covered her forehead, swaying back and forth, trying to keep her composure. She continued screaming for more medics to help. She yelled for the doctor. Masumi turned her head to look back at Yoshimitsu. It was only a split second, but to Yoshimitsu it felt like a minute. He could tell what the look in her eye meant. She was scared, she was sad, and most of all she was apologetic. Her eyes seemed to tell Yoshimitsu that she was sorry; there was nothing she could do. It was too late. There was no hope.

'…' He couldn't even think. He couldn't move. All he could do was stare dumbfounded at the woman on the ground. Vera didn't seem like Vera anymore. She wasn't Vera. It wasn't possible. She was just another figure to be added to war casualties, fatalities.

Then, as quick as it all happened, everything continued at a regular pace. Yoshimitsu was aware of every sound, the first being the sound he had grown to hate more than anything else in the world, Bryan Fury's laugh. A heavy hand dropped onto Yoshimitsu's shoulder, shoving him down to the ground. Bryan's boot clomped onto his back, pushing him into the soil. Yoshimitsu barely moved. He just stared forward, watching as Dr. Boskonovitch rushed outside and dropped down beside Vera's body. The look on his face was worse than Masumi's. The doctor's trembling hand covered his mouth. His eyes already held the worst expression Yoshimitsu had known him to bare. 'Oh my dear Vera…' the words were mouthed silently. Dull, grey eyes continued to stare at him. Yoshimitsu clung at the dirt. His fingers stabbed the ground. Then, he felt the heavy barrel of Bryan's weapon against the back of his head, just under the metallic plates of his helmet.

"Checkmate, my friend…" Bryan chuckled.

'This can't really be happening…' Yoshimitsu let out a defeated breath. Vera was gone, there was nothing else left. His clan was going to be killed by this monster that he was too weak to defeat. That 

Daisuke had betrayed them all with. He was at fault and even if he lived, his clan would only hate him more. He was the cause of their misery and pain; he was the cause of Vera's death. It was true, history did repeat itself. And it was just as painful as the last time. He closed his eyes, waiting for the explosive sound to end his life.

Bryan slipped his finger over the trigger and began to tug. "It's a shame it had to end this way…I was really hoping…" Bryan smirked. "…that of all the people in the world, you'd be the one to bring me to my death. Oh well, life just isn't fair now, is it?" Fury actually frowned as he looked down at the armor clad ninja. The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth. He smirked, the smirk turning into a smile, smile into grin. And then came that awful sound again, that abominable laugh.

"AH!" now that was a sound Yoshimitsu wasn't counting on hearing.

Bryan Fury stumbled backward a few steps, hand clutching his face. A sharpened shuriken had flown gracefully through the air, landing directly in the center of his eye. The man screamed and staggered about furiously.

"Ah! Leave it to a ninja to be a coward in the middle of a battle! Having your friends interfere!" Bryan panicked, rambling away. "You're a coward, Yoshimitsu. And that's why you deserve to die! That's why she had to die! I don't regret it; the bitch got what she deserved!" He ripped out the pointed star from his eye and hurled it to the ground.

That was the straw that broke the camel's back. In a flash Yoshimitsu was on his feet. Driven by insanity, he darted forward, grabbing the blade still stuck inside Bryan's body. He tugged on the weapon with all his might, tearing it out of his body. Bryan only screamed more obscenities and insults. He kneeled to the ground, reaching for his m60. Yoshimitsu followed through, swinging downward. His sword cut through the top of Bryan's shoulder, through the metal interior and out the other side, severing the man's second arm. Fury only watched Yoshimitsu in shock. The ninja never faltered. He disappeared from view once again. With Bryan's good eye he watched the green light of the blade cut around him twice with lightning speed, his body dropping to the ground as his legs were also severed from his body.

"YOSHIMITSU!" He growled.

"I never lose at chess…" Yoshimitsu's voice whispered as the blade cut once more.

Bryan stared, his vision dipping all the way to the ground. He blinked slowly, wondering how it was possible to lose like this. He watched as his body twitched on the ground, lying beside him.

"You…may…have won the battle…but I won…the war." Bryan's good eye looked upward at Yoshimitsu. Slowly, a grey static took over. Soon there was nothing left of Bryan Fury's soul. His body was gone, the mechanics ruined. There was no way he was getting back up. The ninja watched as the light in the man's eyes faded. It was finally over. He stood over him, breathing heavily.

A low hum sounded from his sword. Yoshimitsu twisted it in his hands, observing it. The glow had dulled to a pale light. Immediately his head began to clear. He felt dizzy at first as the change took place. 

Yoshimitsu stared down at the weapon in hand. It had been the first time in years he didn't feel his head throbbing; he didn't feel a constant strain on his brain. The sword's hunger had been satisfied. Bryan's life force had seemed to be enough to settle it. Yet, Yoshimitsu couldn't seem to feel pleased about it.

Yoshimitsu didn't doubt the man's last words one bit. Bryan may have been destroyed, but what was there to show for it? More people were dead, his village needed repair, and of all things Vera was gone too. Also, Yoshimitsu hadn't won by himself. Someone had intervened. It reminded him. Yoshimitsu looked down at the shuriken lying on the ground. He paused, his stomach turning at the sight. He quickly lifted the weapon from off the ground. There was a symbol on the shuriken, one that looked like a head of a feline. There were tiny pointed ears and whiskers and in the center of the forehead of the animal was the sign for 'devil'. His knees nearly buckled at the revelation. He closed his eyes, remembering something from long ago. Something he had tried to forget.

* * *

"I don't get why you waste your time doing that." Yoshimitsu folded his arms, leaning casually against the wall.

"Because, everyone has a signature." The younger woman shrugged, her long red pigtails moving with her shoulders. "The last thing I want my victims to see before they die is my name, so they know they were killed by the greatest ninja of all time." she giggled to herself as she carved a sign into the tiny weapon.

"It's a waste of time. You'll have to carve into thousands of shuriken if you want to accomplish that." Yoshimitsu sighed. "Besides, I doubt anyone would notice." He muttered under his breath, watching her with interest. She certainly did have a skill in decorating weaponry. It was obviously a trait she had developed from her grandfather.

"Then, if I have to, I will." She stood from the ground and spun, throwing one of the sharp stars at Yoshimitsu's face. He ritualistically stepped to the side, letting it stick to the wood on the wall. His eyes dropped to the symbols carved into the weapon. "Kunimitsu, the devil cat!" she grinned widely.

* * *

"Yoshimitsu!" Dr. Boskonovitch's voice rang him out of his daydream. Before the man could think, he was sprinting to Vera's body. "Yoshimitsu…I'm sorry…I…"

Yoshimitsu ignored the doctor. He bent down and lifted Vera's limp form from off the veranda. His clothes immediately soaked up her dark blood. He turned on his heal and rushed toward the lab.

"Yoshimitsu!" Masumi hollered after him. The doctor made haste, following.

"How is she?" Yoshimitsu asked hurriedly.

"I…Yoshimitsu, she's not going to make it. There's no surgery I can do that will save her life." Dr. Boskonovitch ran before him and opened the door to the lab.

"There's one thing we can try." Yoshimitsu set Vera's body on the table.

"I can't! Yoshimitsu…she'd need a team of doctors…" the doctor's words faded.

"The generator!" He slapped his hands on the table. Masumi watched from the doorway, tears falling slowly from her eyes.

"Yoshimitsu! But…you need the generator…" Dr. B's voice was grave and unsure.

"I don't care!" he was shouting loudly. It was almost frightening, the tone of his voice. "Of all the people in the world, I would give up my life without a moment's thought for her!"

"I'd need help…"

"I'll help. I'm no medic, but you can tell me what to do and I'll try my best." Masumi stepped through the door, rushing to Vera's side.

"…Her life will forever be changed, like yours." The doctor spoke quietly. "And it may not even work…"

"Do it, please." Yoshimitsu stared down at Vera's broken body. Her long, loose curls swept around her blood stained face. All he could think about was the dead look in her eyes earlier. "I don't care if I completely rot…just give her the generator."

"Years of research and waiting…and just like that, you're going to give it up again? Dr. Boskonovitch asked slowly. "It would take months before I can get the materials for a new one…and I'm afraid you don't have that much time-."

"I don't care about time!!" Yoshimitsu hit the table again, his hands shaking. "Just do it, don't question my authority, doctor!"

"…Y-yes…Yoshimitsu." The doctor understood completely. He didn't want to lose Vera either, but he couldn't just let Yoshimitsu throw away his life yet again. He already did that once before.

"I'll be back in a few…" Yoshimitsu spun and stomped from the lab.

"Where are you going!?" Masumi shouted after him.

"I have something important to do…I'll be back to help you soon doctor." Yoshimitsu slammed the door shut behind him.

"What's going on?" Masumi asked.

"Yoshimitsu always has his reasons. Come help me stop this bleeding…" the doctor called out to the woman.

It was going to take a miracle to keep this woman alive.

* * *

Yoshimitsu sprinted across the compound, his head flying from left to right, searching. For what, he wasn't completely sure. He had his hopes though. He came to the fence and climbed over it with much ease, dropping on the other side to the forest floor. Snow and frost kissed leaves kicked up at his feet. He trotted out into the trees, searching.

"…Kunimitsu!" he breathed out, looking around the area. He felt ashamed to say that name. As soon as the word left his mouth he felt very foolish.

'This is nonsense…' he frowned, trying to catch the breath he hadn't realized he lost.

"…I, I saw the shuriken…It had the symbol on it." The man walked slowly through the trees, talking to himself. "I've only known of one person who could throw that accurately."

His footsteps shuffled through the leaves. He wasn't trying to hide himself. He wasn't trying to be quiet. It was a sign that he was relaxed, posing no threat. He shivered as a sharp breeze swept around him. There was a feeling to the air. He felt he was being watched, by everything in the forest, but at the same time, he still felt very lonely.

"You saved my life…" hanging his head, he leaned against a nearby tree trunk. "That's what confuses me. Why you, of all people, would save my life?"

He was silent a moment, now feeling very irrational.

"Kunimitsu? Are you here?" he muttered quietly. There was desperation to his voice.

"Now that's a voice I haven't heard in a long time." a reply sounded from directly above him.

Yoshimitsu froze with goose bumps on his skin. He recognized that voice, he could say the same thing, but he noticed a small difference; the voice sounded much older. He slowly brought his gaze upward glancing at the tree branches above. An invisible form dropped down before him. He saw a hand tug down a sightless hood. A head revealed itself from the forest. A woman stood before him in a camouflaged robe. Her face adorned a porcelain mask. Tiny whiskers covered the cheeks, pointed ears sat atop it giving her the appearance of a cat. She folded her arms, standing contrapposto.

"Kuni…mitsu…?" Yoshimitsu was glad he was leaning against the tree; if he hadn't then his legs would have just given out beneath him.

* * *

Okay, going to end it here for tonight! Sorry for the delay again…work started back up with the children's book and it's kind of been keeping me busy. Anyways, hope you all liked this new chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis


	15. Chapter 15

Wow, long one in store for you! Welcome to the grand finale, that's right, the end of The Kill. I hope you all enjoy this next massive chapter. I know I had fun writing it. Warning…some sexual content but nothing too graphic. Thanks for reading and reviewing! –Annubis

* * *

**The Kill**

**Chapter 15**

"You act like you've seen a ghost…" Kunimitsu gave a low laugh. Her voice was still rich and dark, like it had been many years ago. There was a hint of age, only a bit more rough sounding.

"But…you…" Yoshimitsu fumbled for words. "You're alive."

"Obviously." She gave a sarcastic tone.

"But I…" the man swallowed thickly, trying to gain the confidence he had suddenly lost. "I killed you."

There was a snort. The woman was still bitter with him, he could tell. "You're not very thorough, you know that?"

"But, how?" he looked down at his feet; he couldn't even look her in the eye.

"My grandfather. He was waiting nearby. I told him if I didn't come back by nightfall to come looking for me, and that's what he did. Said he found me at the mountain top, the one overlooking the valley." She took her place against a tree across from the man.

"You said that that's where you wanted to rest. When you died, you wanted me to make sure that you could sit atop that mountain, see the valley and the sunset." He spoke slowly and quietly. He sounded far away, as if lost in a memory. He felt as if Kunimitsu was still dead and he was talking to someone else.

"It was beautiful. I know it was." She cleared her throat, the dreamy sound in her voice fading away instantly. "The cold was what kept me alive, actually. Hard to believe, right? Slowed everything down, I didn't bleed to death. Almost, but barely made it through."

Yoshimitsu remained to himself, not speaking. Kunimitsu answered his unsaid question.

"My grandfather carried me back. I was in the hospital for weeks because of a coma. My heart stopped a few times, but they were able to get it working again. My grandfather had to sell his shop to pay the bills. He bought me the best doctors around." She shrugged softly, looking to the side. "Still have the scar…" she muttered absently.

"Kuni…I'm sorry." The man's voice was a ragged whisper. His hands gripped at the bark on the tree behind him.

"It wasn't long after that that my grandfather died. I was left alone. I had no one left, nowhere to go, no one to go to. I was left without a purpose." There was a sad underlying tone to her words.

"Why didn't you come back?" Yoshimitsu asked after a minute.

She gave him an incredulous look. A muffled laugh sounded from behind the porcelain mask. "Ha! Are you serious? You grow dumb with your old age?"

He deserved that. It was a ridiculous idea. What would he have done if she did return? Would it have made a difference? There was no way she'd stay. There was no way they would have forgiven each other. Things probably would have ended up no differently, if not worse.

"Besides…I made a promise to my grandfather." She added.

"What was that?" Yoshimitsu raised his head, looking at her for the first time since they started their conversation.

"He made me promise to never see you again. Forget the sword; never come back to these wretched woods. He told me to move on, start a new life…" The look she gave him was not a nice one. "And that's exactly what I did."

Her words hurt a little. Yoshimitsu wasn't sure why. He resumed his former stance, staring at the ground.

"Being defeated, nearly killed by you, and my grandfather's death kind of made me wake up. Life isn't a fairy tale, Yoshimitsu. There's a lot more pain and suffering. The outside world is just as harsh as yours…there are just different obstacles, but all in all, relationships are the same." She lifted her head to look at the sky. "…I wanted a family."

Yoshimitsu's head darted upward to look at her, a small gasp sounding from him. Kunimitsu eyeballed him suspiciously. Was he really that surprised? She dropped her arms, resting them at her side.

"I wanted to be something, something more than an air conditioner repairman." She let out a chuckle. Her laugh quickly turned into a fit of coughs. The woman leaned forward, coughing with a hand on her chest. She pulled a rag from her coat, coughing harder still. She turned away, lifting the mask. Yoshimitsu noticed some grey hairs. She coughed into the rag for a few minutes until she finally calmed her lungs. A hand slipped the mask back down over her face. She frantically stuffed the handkerchief into a pocket, but not before Yoshimitsu noticed the red stains.

"You're sick…" He straightened his posture.

Kunimitsu snorted a laugh again. Her shoulders moved upward with a shrug. "I'm old." She replied nonchalantly.

"Dr. Boskonovitch can help! You can get better!" He pushed away from the tree, talking with his hands. Kunimitsu smiled.

"The ever caring Yoshimitsu. Whatever happened to your contempt with me?"

"Please stay. You know we can help." He sighed.

She shook her head in response. "I can't. It's not that easy."

"Why not?" His hands dropped, hitting his thighs.

Kunimitsu continued shaking her head at him. She had noticed the battle he had just gone through. There was another woman. There was no way she was going back. There was no way anyone would accept her anyways. She was a known traitor. Besides that, there was one other very important thing.

"I have a family now." She couldn't help but smile at the sudden drop in Yoshimitsu's posture. "I have grandkids." She laughed as she spoke.

Yoshimitsu looked off to the side, feeling a strange pain. Was it jealousy, Kunimitsu wondered. She could read him better than anyone else.

"Grandchildren…?" Yoshimitsu frowned. Had it really been that long ago that the two of them were lovers?

Kunimitsu suddenly felt a bit of spitefulness grow inside her. "I couldn't wait forever, Yoshimitsu. Not all of us are ageless." Her voice hissed. A slender hand reached up and tugged the mask off her face. Her golden eyes glared at the man before her.

Yoshimitsu nearly jumped. He gaped at the sight, his body rigid. Her hair, of course, wasn't the wild red it used to be. It had lines of grey flowing through it. She was still slender, but her skin held wrinkles about her mouth, chin, nose and eyes. Her brows were furrowed, sending an almost accusatory look his way. When he looked at her, he could still see the younger Kunimitsu. There was still a sparkle in her eye. She smirked the same way she always had.

"Surprised?" She asked with some humor.

"…" He folded his arms stubbornly.

"I was getting old. And a woman of my age at that time didn't have much longer to wait." Her fingers trailed through her long hair, combing out a few tangles. It was a nervous gesture. Yoshimitsu was glad to see she still held it. "I took my word that I would move on…and I did. Pretty much immediately I met another man. I was surprised how quickly my world turned around. We hit it off pretty well. Not much longer after that, we were married. Then I had children, quite quickly actually. The years went by way too fast; I almost wonder where my life has gone."

Yoshimitsu listened to her words carefully. His life had seemed to drag on endlessly. She had moved on almost immediately after the incident. Kunimitsu had no second thoughts, regrets, nothing. She turned her back on him and found someone new, had children without any malevolent thoughts. It actually hurt him how easy it was for her to move on and start a completely different life with a man she didn't even know. His fingers twitched, balling into a fist and then dropping. Kunimitsu was aware of the gesture. She secretly hoped he was angry. She wanted him to be angry, to be sad, and to feel pain. She wanted him to feel what she felt the day she woke up in the hospital. She had died that day. The one and only man she had ever loved with all her heart had abandoned her and left her to die in the cold.

"And now, my children have children of their own. I have grandkids. You see…I can't just leave them." She stared at her feet. "Not now, not after starting my new life over. This is my old life, my past life. Kunimitsu isn't alive anymore, Yoshimitsu. There's nothing of her left, you hear me?" there was bitterness in her voice. "You ask me to just come back and throw my good life away? For what? For you!? I don't think so. Why should I jeopardize my world when you couldn't inconvenience your life for me even once? You throw me out as soon as I make one mistake? You wouldn't dare leave the clan for me. What you and I had…they were different feelings. I don't think you realized what we were. Unless I thought it was all a mistake."

There it was, the same argument they had nearly thirty years ago. She was threatening him for the sword, getting in trouble in the tournaments, and giving him bitter glares with every word she shared. It was the same argument years before that too, right before he kicked her out of the Manji Clan. It was always the same bitter words with her, and every time she still believed Yoshimitsu didn't realize what he had. Truth was he didn't, not until he let her go. Not until he had been the cause of her death, did his world crumble beneath him. He'd never see her again, never fight with her again. But now, now she was alive. She was alive and he felt like he was given a second chance. However, the way things were going, that was obviously not what the heavens were planning.

Kunimitsu let out a loud and long sigh. This wasn't what she wanted to do. She didn't come here to fight with him the same way she used to. She was past that. But damn it, when she saw him all that pent up anger seemed to swell within her. She decided to change the subject instead.

"I saw the news on the television. They talked about the doctor, whom I presume is that young lady who was shot down, right?" Yoshimitsu shuddered. He suddenly felt like he needed to leave and be by her side immediately, but Kunimitsu held him here. His body refused to move. "And they mentioned something a little while ago about Bryan Fury. He seemed like a terrible man. I've heard through the grapevine that you've had some trouble in the past with him, right? Well they mentioned the clan again the other day, said it was attacked by the Zaibatsu. I had to come here, to see it myself. I don't know why, but with the sudden spike on the news about the clan…I got worried."

'Worried?' Yoshimitsu straightened his back, feeling a little bit of his confidence coming back.

"But not about you." She spat quickly.

The man deflated instantly.

"Truth is…I wanted to warn you about this man…but I'm not as fast as I used to be. Seems I was a bit late in giving you the news. I happened by just in time though…to save your ass." Her low voice murmured.

"Thank you for that…" the man replied flatly.

"I don't know why though. Your ass has lived long enough as it is. I should let survival of the fittest run its course." She folded her arms and scoffed. Yoshimitsu smiled. That was something he would expect her to say. Truth was she did miss him. She was worried about him. And, after seeing the news, she wanted to see him again. She wanted to see the man she had fallen in love with so many years ago one last time, before she grew too old or sick. She felt her eyes burning at the thought. She reached for her mask, preparing to put it back on.

"That shuriken brought about quite a few bad memories." He interrupted the silence. "And a few good ones." He stared into her eyes; there was something about the way he watched her that made her uncomfortable.

"You have someone new, Yoshi." She pushed his feelings away. "I saw the young woman. I saw the way you looked at her. Yoshimitsu, you were hurt so badly when she was hurt. You felt her pain. You felt what a man in love feels when he sees his woman get injured. I'm no fool. I've practiced reading you for a long time. I can read you like a book, better than anyone else. You're in love. And I think it's about time you learn to move on." She began covering herself once again with the camouflaging cloak. Immediately her body began to fade into the background. The woman hesitated though. She pinched her lips together, thinking.

"I was both happy and hurt the day you banished me from the clan." She told him. "I needed to get away, but you plagued my thoughts for years."

Yoshimitsu whispered in a low voice, the exact same voice that used to make her melt. In fact it still held the same effect with her. "Mine too." He shook his head, giving her a confused look. "Why didn't you tell me?" his asked hurtfully.

"I hated you, Yoshimitsu." The words were not sugar coated at all. They stung as much as they were intended to. "I was so close to you, Yoshimitsu…but still so far away." He tilted his head, not exactly understanding. "The closest I could get to you was by your side. Anything else was unheard of." She took a deep breath. "I was in love, Yoshimitsu. I wanted love, you see? I was in love with an untouchable man." Her voice cracked at the memory. The two of them would get so dangerously close. Every time he was the one to back away, to end it and keep it from getting further. And every time he did that a piece of Kunimitsu's heart was torn to pieces.

"You were in love with an old man." He muttered to himself, feeling ashamed.

"I fell in love with _you_, not your age!" She screamed at him, turning 30 years younger. Her finger pointed at him, stabbing with each thrust and yell. "I had no clue about your age, because you hid behind that mask every day! And that's what hurt the most. You returned my love to an extent but it never got too far."

The man listened quietly, letting the onslaught continue. She could blame him all she wanted as long as he could take in this moment. Take it in long enough so he could relive those days they were together. He hated the fact he was trying to pretend, but his mind was forcing it.

"And then we began fighting." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I wanted more, but you didn't. You hid all the time, wouldn't let me in. And then there was that kiss…that awful kiss!" she covered her eyes, feeling embarrassed.

He knew exactly what she was talking about. The two, one night, had gotten very close after a training session. She followed him home, letting herself in like she usually did. But this time she locked the door behind her. They continued their flirts, their suggestive prattle. Things got heated up fast when they began getting physical. Touching, pushing, challenging. Things were getting rough and the situation got out of hand very quickly. They both wanted no boundaries. Kunimitsu wanted him; she wanted all of him, more than just his words and personality. Hands had explored each other, they had before, but this time they seemed to linger longer. Then, Kunimitsu started to kiss him. Her lips traveled his neck, the only bare part of his costume at the time. They trailed to his. He had held onto her, his hands moving to her hips. That's when her fingers gripped the edge of his mask. He watched her intently, as if he was unsure. Kunimitsu took the next step and pulled. She only got to see a part of his cheek before he freaked out and grabbed the mask, pushing it against his face.

He couldn't do it, couldn't do it to her. He couldn't let her know what he looked like; it was clan rules, well, more like his own rules. Clan leaders didn't always have to be in hiding. He was insecure. If she saw him then it'd start a whole new level of intimacy. Besides, he was too old for her. What would she do when she found out he was an old man? Run, hide? Either way, there were no good circumstances. He couldn't afford that. The clan would grow angry and his life would be at stake, her life too. Yoshimitsu wasn't one for letting foolish things ruin his or anyone else's life. He put an end to it right there when he pushed away from her one last time. There was no lecture this time, only the hurtful glare she fed him as tears fell down her cheeks. She turned and stormed out of his room. And that was the last time the two had spoken to each other civilly.

Still, no matter how he tried, she refused to stay friends with him. She seemed to have taken his actions the wrong way. To him, they could still be together; there would just be some obstacles to overcome first. Second, it was only a kiss; they had found other ways to show their affection to one another.

"Why was that so important?" Yoshimitsu asked, though he really did know the answer.

She fed him a disbelieving look. "Because, Yoshimitsu. Showing your face to me would let me know that you loved me." The woman glared. "Showing your face would say 'I love you'." She answered again with the sarcasm.

"I did love you." He spoke to her softly.

She looked at him, lip trembling a bit. Still, her demeanor remained cold. "Yet, despite it all you exile me. I stole from that treasury to help my grandfather! So he could buy things for his shop, it was foolish, I know. But that didn't stop you! You had kicked me out as if I were just some intruder. There was no hesitation. Tell me Yoshimitsu, how long did it take for you to decide? A whole ten seconds!?" the man fidgeted uncomfortably. "Ya know… I was both happy and hurt that you did that."

Yoshimitsu met her gaze, curious.

"Happy to get away from you, but hurt that after everything, you still couldn't forgive me. You didn't care or try. So I willingly left, without another word. I wasn't going to say any goodbyes, I wasn't going to let you reel me in, feed me more lies." She glared at the leaves on the ground, feeling his piercing stare. "Then, grandpa said he needed to make a better sword. If he could duplicate yours, he'd make so much money. He would never have to work again. So I decided I was going to steal it. I was going to steal your sword. I don't know what I was thinking; I knew I would never get it. Maybe…" She took a deep breath and released it. "Maybe it was my way of seeing you again. No matter how much I hated you, I couldn't stay away. I couldn't get you out of my head. And I thought I'd rather live a life fighting you day on, day out, if it gave me the chance to be a part of your life too. Foolish, right? Still, when I thought about you I hated you more than anything, but once we met up my hate turned into something else. No matter what, I could never kill you. I could never find the strength to actually do it." Her golden brown eyes glared at his once again.

"…" Yoshimitsu cleared his throat; he knew where this one was leading.

"And then after so many trials and errors, you finally did it. You finally killed me." She ground out angrily.

"Kuni…" he spoke to her, holding a hand out.

"Knowing…that you had the intentions and actually tried to kill me, hurt the most. I did die that day, Yoshi. That day, your sword may have missed its target but it was your actions and harsh words that killed my soul." She began to walk away. She was ending everything so suddenly. "I'm old now, I'm a different person. I have a family to return to. I must leave."

"You still are full of hate…?" Yoshimitsu listened to her story. It hurt him deeply to know that she despised him. At first, he thought there was hope. That everything would have ended peacefully between them. Everything, instead, did a complete turnaround. She was yelling at him, hating him.

She twisted around to face him again. "No, Yoshi. If I did, would you think I would have returned?" the woman asked him. A new silence ensued. She shook her head, laughing at herself. "The love I felt for you, never died. Only everything else." She spun back around.

"Kuni." He spoke up. He wasn't going to let it end this way.

Kunimitsu let out an irritated sigh; still she faced him yet again. Without another moments thought Yoshimitsu reached up and removed the mask from his face. Kunimitsu stared, speechless. Her eye contact with his only lasted a second before she tore the gaze away and to the side.

He was exactly how she had imagined him to be. From his wild, messy hair, the color of his eyes, to the cut and structure of his face he was the man she had often dreamt about and often wished to meet. She knew what this gesture was. She knew what he was doing. But, for some reason, she never imagined that seeing his true face would hurt so much.

Kunimitsu gave him a small smile. Then it contorted into a look of pain, it took all she had to hold her composure. Yoshimitsu saw the tears in her eyes.

Kunimitsu lifted her eyes to him once more. "Goodbye, Yoshimitsu." She spoke quickly as she placed the porcelain mask back onto her face and lifted the hood to cover her head. She didn't stay another moment longer. The woman turned quickly and rushed away into the woods, her camouflage concealing every bit of her. Kunimitsu was gone.

Yoshimitsu stood beside himself. The only sound he heard in the forest was the leaves rustling.

"Kunimitsu…" the man whispered. He stared before him where she just stood. "Did you see my face?"

Yoshimitsu lingered a while longer, listening and feeling the breeze wrap around him. Tiny flakes of snow began to coat him and the forest floor. He wondered when life became so complicated and how was he ever going to stop the pain that lived within him.

* * *

The door to the lab slipped open. A snow covered Yoshimitsu shuffled inside. He shivered unconsciously.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Dr. Boskonovitch's voice alerted the man's attention.

Yoshimitsu raised his head. "Yeah…I supposed you could say that."

"Where have you been!?" Masumi asked, looking him up and down. "You've been out there this whole time!?"

Yoshimitsu looked at himself. He shrugged carelessly. He must've been out there much longer than he had thought.

"What's the matter with you?" Masumi looked at him, her eyebrows raised. Her hair was a mess and her face was red. The doctor must've put her through a lot of work. "What if something bad had happened!?"

"To Vera?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah! What if I were to tell you she was dead!?" Masumi forced her hands to her hips roughly.

"Is she?" He asked.

"No, she seems to be doing fine right now." The doctor answered.

"How can you be so calm!?" Masumi glared.

"I wouldn't have left in the first place if I wasn't confident in the doctor's work." Yoshimitsu answered, plopping into a chair and covering his masked face.

"…" Masumi watched him carefully.

"She's ready for the device, Yoshimitsu…" the doctor cleared his throat.

"Go ahead." Yoshimitsu muttered.

"The same thing will happen to her as did you. She won't be able to age. She'll need to be repaired regularly." Dr. B explained.

"As long as she lives…" Yoshimitsu murmured. "She hasn't gotten to live out her dreams…"

The doctor nodded slowly. "Alright then. Masumi, please assist me."

"Yes sir." Masumi nodded.

"What about the medics?" the male ninja asked.

"They're busy taking care of the others who were injured." The doctor gave Yoshimitsu a warning glance.

"Ok…" Yoshimitsu frowned. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He bounced on the balls of his toes, his knees jerking up and down impatiently. He couldn't sit here. He couldn't sit here and watch. Surgery was much more different than battle. In battle he could easily save someone's life, but once they are mortally wounded, he was completely useless. There was nothing he could do and it bothered him to no end. Masumi and Dr. Boskonovitch could feel his unease.

"Why don't you get some rest?" the doctor suggested. "You haven't slept in a while."

"I'm not sleeping." Yoshimitsu answered quickly. "She didn't give up on me so easily when she had first met me…"

The doctor and Masumi shared worried looks.

"I'm not sleeping, I'm not giving up. You know, I'm moving on. Right? I can't live in the past right? I can take care of myself! I can take care of others and myself. I don't need to rely on others. I can handle things. I can grow up. I can show emotion, I can be strong. I've been wasting away right? Well, I'm not going to anymore." Yoshimitsu began his rant. Masumi and the doctor watched him warily.

"Yoshimitsu…are you alright?" Masumi asked the nervous man.

"I'm fine! I'm strong and I can move on. It's not like I lived my life for her…I didn't change myself…I didn't waste anything. I'm good as new. There's nothing else…" He spoke in circles to himself. He wasn't making any sense.

"Her? Who are you talking about? Vera?" Masumi spoke across the room at the man.

"Am I easy to forget!?" Yoshimitsu looked up at Masumi. "I mean…if I had abandoned her in the city…do you think she'd be able to move on just as easily? Would she have forgotten me, like I never existed?" the man continued tapping his feet, his fingers twiddling. He looked to the side.

"Yoshimitsu, you're tired. You need to get some rest." The doctor advised.

"I mean…Am I that old? Maybe…Maybe if I had shown her my face then, things would have been different. Maybe they'd be better, maybe none of this would have happened." He shrugged.

"That's it." Masumi dropped the utensil in her hand. "Doctor, give me a minute."

Boskonovitch nodded.

Yoshimitsu continued his constant ramblings. Something had happened while he was gone, something that messed with his head. Masumi didn't know what, but she knew where his mind was now.

"Yoshimitsu." She put her hands on her hips. "What's gotten you into this slump?"

"Masumi…do you hate me for that night?" He looked up at her.

"I…ah…" She looked over her shoulder at the doctor, who gave her a questioning look. "…What? Yoshimitsu, you're being silly."

"You got close…you know that. Would it make you feel better if you had seen my face?"

"Yoshimitsu, none of that matters." She grabbed his arm. "Come with me, please."

The man stood with her.

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked him.

"Um…You mean, for a couple minutes or an actual full nights rest?" he mumbled to himself.

"Full night." She led him to the door.

"Uh…three or four days ago…I'm not really sure. I slept well that night I was in Vera's room. When was that?" The man answered softly. All his nights and days had been mashed together into blurs. He couldn't tell what day of the week it was, or the month for that matter.

"You need more rest." She sighed. "When was the last time you have eaten?"

"Uh…about two days ago…" He groaned, feeling achy and the tremors that ran through his body.

"And you were out in that cold for many hours today." She opened the door to the lab.

Together they walked out onto the veranda. She led him to his room.

"I'm sorry, was I not making any sense in there?" he shook his head, waking up a bit. "I must've been talking out loud."

"Yes, indeed you were." Masumi nodded.

They were silent up until they reached the door to his housing.

"I saw her." He muttered quickly.

"Who?" Masumi laughed at him awkwardly.

"Kuni…" he whispered.

Masumi's smile faded quickly. There was something seriously wrong with this man. Kunimitsu had been dead for well over twenty years. Masumi was a small child when it happened.

"Okay, you're going to bed right now."

"No." Yoshimitsu turned. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "She's still alive!" He breathed heavily. "She helped me…against Bryan…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shuriken. "See?"

Masumi grabbed the weapon. She looked it over. There was a cat etched into the side and a small kanji sign for devil. She recognized the symbol from an old weapon Yoshimitsu had once shown her. This weapon, however, had been detailed recently. She glanced at Yoshimitsu, her look asking him how this was possible.

"Looks like I'm not very thorough in killing people." He murmured. "She moved on with her life, got married, had children, and has grandchildren…"

"I'm sorry, Yoshimitsu." Masumi frowned. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Is Vera going to make it?" His shoulders shook as he looked down at the ground.

"Oh, Yoshimitsu." Masumi wrapped her arms around the man, giving him a secure embrace. "We're going to try our best, alright? The doctor will be able to save her, I have faith in him and you should too." She talked to him quietly. "You have to believe in Vera too, okay?"

Yoshimitsu nodded hurriedly. His arms slowly wrapped around Masumi, returning the gesture. Masumi was shocked. Since when was he so affectionate?

"You're going to rest, right? You'll be useless if you don't. Get some rest and the surgery should be finished when you awake." She released him.

Yoshimitsu stood awkwardly a moment. He cleared his throat and entered his room without another word.

'I need to get rest…I'm acting like a loon.' The man sighed. He began to close the door behind him.

"Yoshimitsu…" Masumi spoke again. He looked over his shoulder at her. The woman glanced around nervously. "You…you love her, right?"

"…" Yoshimitsu stood silently a minute. "Yeah…I do." He answered.

Masumi grinned. "Then she'll be fine." With that being said Masumi left the man alone to his thoughts.

'She'll be fine…' Yoshimitsu nodded once. He had to believe it. And the best thing to do right now, was what Masumi had told him to do, rest. And so Yoshimitsu, for the first time in days, got some rest.

* * *

Vera could hear a lot of noise around her. There was electronic beeping, suction noises, and water droplet sounds. Each noise sent a tiny headache through her brain. Her eardrums vibrated painfully. She dared to open her eyes, white light blinded her. She moaned quietly. Her insides felt like jelly. There was a strange sensation in her gut, like tiny vibrations every now and then.

"Good to see you are awake, my dear." She recognized that voice.

"…Doctor…" She managed a raspy whisper.

"We've missed you." The doctor's voice sounded cheerful. Vera tugged her eyes open slowly, getting used to the light more and more with each blink.

"Why am I in here?" It took a couple tries before she managed to get all the words out.

"Bryan Fury broke into the village, do you remember?" the doctor asked.

"Hm…" She furrowed her brow. "No…"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"…" The woman thought a moment. "Taking the horse to the stables…" Her eyes popped open. "The, the documents! Did you get them!?"

"Now, now! Easy…wouldn't want you to go into another coma." The doctor placed a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down. Vera hadn't even realized she tried to get up.

"Coma?" the woman whispered.

"Only a tiny one, scary nonetheless." The old man cleaned his glasses. "I knew you'd pull through." He gave her a cheerful grin.

"How'd I end up in here?" she calmed herself. It seemed her heart was pounding hard, and now her stomach was churning. She groaned at the strange feeling.

"That monster, Bryan, had shot you all up…" his face turned into a frown. "You…almost didn't make it. If it wasn't for the generator." He sighed and gave her a small smile.

"The generator?" Vera closed her eyes, smiling. "Wait…" she sat up.

"V, Vera…you rest now, you hear me?" the doctor tried to keep her from sitting up.

"What do you mean generator!?" She screamed.

"Vera we had to!" the doctor backed away, afraid of her wrath.

"You mean to tell me, that you completed the new perpetual generator and instead of fixing Yoshimitsu, put it INSIDE ME!?" she yelled loudly. That would explain the strange churning inside her middle.

"Please, you're going to hurt yourself." He talked to her like she was a child.

"I can't believe this." Vera covered her face. "Is…is he alright!?" she looked to her side; there was no one there in the room with her.

"Actually…Vera…" Dr. Boskonovitch didn't know how to tell her. "You've been out for a while, Vera…and Yoshimitsu, well…he knew about the consequences of his actions. I tried to stop him, but he wanted the machine to go to you. We talked about it shortly, he gave me no choice, and I agreed with him."

"You agreed with him!?" Her face was red with anger.

"It's what he wanted Vera. He wanted you to live. He said that you had too many dreams. And I agreed with him, you are far too young to die, Vera."

"Where is he!?" Vera shouted, tears stinging her eyes. She didn't like this roundabout way of telling her if he was alright or not. "Where is he!?"

"He's…" the doctor began. He looked over his shoulder suddenly.

The door to the back of the lab opened up. A ninja came through the back door, covered in dirt. He had a heavy shovel in hand. Vera watched in horror as he set the item against the wall.

"The hole's been dug. Masumi and I just got done filling in the grave." The ninja murmured. "He's a pretty big guy; it took longer than I thought it would." He sighed, wiping at his forehead. His eyes then fell onto the young woman on the table. His mouth dropped and his eyes widened. Was that a look of fear?

"Oh my GOD!" Vera screamed. She repeated the words over and over again as she began to slide from the table.

"Vera?" Dr. Boskonovitch watched the woman carefully.

"You…I can't believe it! You…You and this damn perpetual generator!" before the doctor could say anything else Vera was on her feet, running toward the backdoor.

"Vera!" the doctor shouted after her, but she didn't care to stop.

She shoved her way past the dirty man, bumping into him.

"Wait!" the man shouted, grabbing at her. She sent her arms flying, making her way past him.

"Leave me ALONE!" The man did just that. Vera shoved her way through the door, it slammed quickly behind her.

'Cold!' She covered her arms as a burst of frozen air pushed against her. The ground was covered with at least a foot of snow. 'Where?' She looked back and forth frantically. 'Where's the grave!?'

She looked down at the ground, noticing footprints leading back behind housing. Her feet, bare and frozen trampled through the snow. She rushed past home after home, watching the footsteps. They led her all the way back behind where Yoshimitsu's residence lay.

'Oh my God…' her lungs burned with each and every breath she took. She was being led to Yoshimitsu's secret resting place, where the pond and colorful koi lived. She turned the corner and sped down the path, running faster. She couldn't believe it, there was no way she would believe it. Yoshimitsu couldn't be. He just couldn't be. The warm tears that trickled down her face threatened to freeze to her cheeks.

Finally, Vera came to the pond area. It had frozen over, the fish now hibernating. Her eyes carried over the icy surface following a worn path in the snow. Then, she saw it, a freshly made grave. The dirt was frozen and dark. The lump in the ground was already almost covered by the falling snow.

Vera dropped to the ground, a loud gasp escaping her lips. There wasn't even a marker on the grave which means either no one cared about this man's death or she had just missed him.

"This isn't happening…" Vera sobbed aloud, covering her mouth. She breathed in heavily, a high pitched gasp sounding. "Yosh…Yoshimitsu…" her tears dripped to the ground. "Oh…why? Why did you do this!?" she cried. Vera fell over the dirt, her body numb from the cold, which she knew wasn't a good idea for the shape she was in.

"You're so selfish…" She cried. That was a blatant lie, she knew. Yoshimitsu was anything but selfish. "Why did you let this happen to you? You didn't have to save me…" her sobs were loud and heavy. "What? What am I supposed to do now!? I have no family, everyone thinks I'm dead. And what's the point of staying here, when you're not here with me!?" her fingers dug into the fresh soil.

"You can't be…You can't be gone!" She cried aloud. "This wasn't supposed to happen, not this way." Vera lifted her head to the sky. With one big breath she started screaming.

"Why did you leave me!? Take me back! I won't leave the lab! I won't run outside like an idiot! I won't get all shot up!" her wails sounded all over the camp, she was sure, but she didn't care.

"Please…I'd rather die than live my life without you…" She whispered to herself, her red puffy eyes stared at the dirt. "Yoshimitsu, don't do this to me…" the woman covered her face, her loosely curled hair blew in the violent winds. "I love you…" she sobbed quietly to herself.

Another gush of wind erupted around her, sending whispers and chills down her spine.

"Vera…" the harsh winds seemed to tease her.

"Ah ah…" She laughed quietly. "God's making fun of me now…" she sniffled.

"I didn't think you'd be so upset about it..." There was the voice. She jumped as it sounded right next to her.

"I said to leave me alone!" She shouted, brushing her hair behind an ear. It was the same man that was covered in dirt who came into the lab with the wretched shovel.

"I'm not leaving you alone." The man shook his head. Vera's ears twitched.

"W, what? What's going on?" Vera fell to the side, watching the man beside her.

There was a soft chuckle. The man had gentle eyes, tender, copper eyes with specks of green.

"Oh!" Vera covered her mouth in surprise.

"To be honest, I thought you'd be a little happier than that to see me." There was that wonderful laugh again.

"Yoshi!? Yoshimitsu!?" the woman spat out quickly.

"Well, who else?" the man shrugged.

"Oh my…God!" She wrapped her arms around the man's neck. "Oh! You're alive!" her voice was muffled by his chest. He quickly grabbed her, holding her tightly against him. "I can't believe it! You're alive!"

"Of course…" the man chuckled softly. "What made you think differently?"

"That damn doctor. He had me worried sick about you and next thing I know people are talking about a grave! He wouldn't tell me where you were! Beating around the bush!" she laughed, new tears forming.

"And you're still crying?" He pushed away, his dirty thumbs wiping at her eyes.

"These…" she sniffled, laughing, which only made her sob harder. "These are happy tears."

"Good, I was worried for a moment." The man sighed. He was wearing his typical ninja uniform, the black cloth mask covering his face. There was a scarf tied around his neck tightly.

"Wait…" Vera looked at the ground curiously. "Then…whose grave was I crying over!?"

"Oh…" Yoshimitsu looked down at the dirt. "That would be Mr. Fury…I had them bury him in a place where no one would find him. Where only I could keep an eye on him, that's also why there's no marker. Wouldn't want his body getting into the wrong hands."

"Bryan!? I was crying over Bryan!?" Vera laughed out loud. "Oh gosh…crying over that man…and I thought he was you!" she held her forehead. "I'm such an idiot!"

"You're not an idiot." The man smirked. "It's understandable. You were confused, just had woken up. By the way, did you not notice me gaping at you?" his hands held onto her shoulder firmly. She could tell he wasn't letting her go any time soon.

"You looked scared!" she cackled, finding this all way too amusing. "I thought it was a worried look, like you had come in at the wrong moment, spoiling the secret that YOU were dead!" she giggled.

"Poor thing." Yoshimitsu laughed at her. His fingers ran through her messy hair.

"And you laugh at me." She pouted. Another crisp wind invaded her body.

"Why are we still out here!?" the man asked, lifting her up from off the ground. "Last thing I need is for you to get sick." Yoshimitsu carried the woman toward his home. "How 'bout…a nice warm fire, hot chocolate, and smores? That's the right word, correct?"

"Yeah." Vera laughed, wiping the stray tears from her eyes. She snuggled in close as he opened the door to his small home.

"How about some fresh clothes?" He asked.

"You have my clothes?" She gave him a strange look.

"You're room was destroyed by Bryan's bullets. They're repairing the holes still. I…" he set her down on his mattress and covered her with his blanket. He traveled near the fireplace and poured her a cup of hot chocolate. "I went ahead and told them to bring all your stuff into my room. That you'd be staying with me until then." He handed her the warm mug.

"Only until then?" she muttered to herself as she sipped the warm drink. Her eyes lifted upward to watch him as she drank. Yoshimitsu couldn't hide the blush on his face.

"Well, we'll see how things go. Who knows, we may be terrible roommates." He went through a bag sitting on one of the small tables.

"If anyone's a terrible roommate, it'd be you." She took another sip.

"Excuse me?" He asked, tugging out some clothes.

"Yeah." She wrinkled her nose. "You snore…"

"I what?" The man asked, appalled. He tossed the clothes at the small woman. Afterwards, he began removing the extra layers of clothing he adorned.

"You heard me." She giggled happily, changing into the clothes immediately. She didn't care if she was sitting in the middle of the man's room either. He could watch for all she cared. And so he did, she noticed. "And…you're a pervert."

"I'm not a pervert…" the man watched her, his eyes almost glowing in the firelight.

"Then why are you watching me?" She asked as she struggled with her jeans.

"Because…" Yoshimitsu took a few slow steps, removing the scarf around his neck. Vera pulled her hair out from inside her sweater. He slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her against him. She managed a 'hey' in protest. The man's eyes stared down into hers. "You're the most beautiful thing I've seen."

There it was the blush he had grown to love. And as if on cue, she followed with a lip tug, lightly biting the soft pink flesh between her teeth.

"Really?" She whispered, barely making a noise. She grinned brightly.

"Oh yeah."

His fingers trailed over the top of his mask. He slipped it down gently. Vera's eyes dropped, staring at the smile on the man's face. She didn't have long, only a split second as he dipped down and kissed her lightly on the lips. It was quick, nothing too special, but it gave butterflies nonetheless. Yoshimitsu looked down, making sure it was alright.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." He sighed, returning to her.

Vera and he exchanged another, deeper kiss. "You have no idea how long I've wanted you to do that." She giggled lightly.

"So you do like it, don't you?" He pressed against her. He watched the red shade return.

"Oh get over yourself." She rolled her eyes playfully.

He pushed against her, kissing her repeatedly. Her arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him close. They were moving, very quickly toward the wall. Yoshimitsu pushed her against the wall; his hands gripped her hips tightly as he deepened the kiss even more. Vera moaned, her leg sliding between his. She was aware of the effect he had on her, and, this time, noticed the effect she had on him. He may have liked to act like he was the one in charge, but Vera had complete control over him. She lifted her head. He slipped down, kissing a path down her neck. His hands trailed over her body, sending chills down her spine. Her heart was pounding and her breaths were quickening.

"You enjoying yourself?" she managed to say between breaths.

"Hrm." He moaned against her collarbone. His hands trailed downward. Vera arched her back, her chest grazing against his. "Don't do that." His teeth nipped her neck.

"Why?" She smirked.

"Hmm." He answered. She wasn't sure exactly what 'hmm' meant but she figured it was a good thing. His hands dropped to her backside. His hands ran over her rear end.

"Aha…" she breathed a laugh. "You're frisky, aren't you?"

"You started it." He was breathing very heavy, she noticed.

He shoved her against the wall again, roughly. One hand gripped her wrists, squeezing them together tightly. It was almost painful, but she let him get away with it this time. His free hand continued exploring. The woman slowly slipped her leg up higher, brushing the inside of his thigh. He gripped her chest, groaning into her.

"Ah!" He broke the kiss, looking at the ground. His breaths were very quick.

"...You okay?" She looked at him with concern. "Too much excitement?" she giggled.

"…Yeah." He breathed out, gasping for air. "I guess so…Must've worked myself too hard today." He stumbled backward, dropping to the ground.

"Yoshimitsu!?" Vera kneeled down.

"V, Vera." A hand gripped at his chest as he breathed heavier and heavier. He felt sick and light headed. His arms were beginning to hurt and there was soreness to his jaw. Vera noticed the sweat on his brow.

"Are you alright!? What are you feeling?" she checked his pulse. Her hands ran through his hair, feeling his forehead.

"I…" the man gripped his chest, wincing. He looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. "No…No, I don't feel alright."

"Ok!" Vera stood. "Hold on, okay!? I'm going to get some help!" She rushed to the door.

"No!" he reached out to her, falling sideways to the floor.

"Yoshimitsu!" Vera scrambled to him.

"St…Stay…please…" He whispered to her, his pupils were dilated. "I, I don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone…" Vera frowned. "It's the biomechanical organs, isn't it?"

Yoshimitsu nodded once. His breathing was way too fast. "Supposed to…get a perpetual generator…I'm outdated…"

"I know, I know." Vera grabbed his hand. She bit her lip. "Damn it, Yoshimitsu. Why'd you have to give it to me?"

"Because…" his breathes suddenly slowed almost to a halt. She gave him a critical look. "Because, Vera." Two breaths. "I love you too." One breath. "I'll be alright, as long as you're by my side until the day I die." He mumbled quietly. His eyes rolled back quickly and his head fell back onto the wooden floor.

"Yoshimitsu!" Vera shouted. She watched his form. "Yoshimitsu!?" She immediately began to sob. "Goddamnit!" the woman scrambled to her feet and before she knew it, she was out on the veranda shouting her lungs out.

"Dr. Boskonovitch!!" she screamed, sprinting down the path. "Doctor!!" her head darted from side to side, there was no one in sight. "MEDIC!" she called out frantically.

"What's going on!?" there was a female voice sounding from in front of her. The door to a room opened up and out stepped a ninja.

"Masumi!" Vera screamed.

"Vera? Vera!?" Masumi hurried to her. "Jesus, are you alright!?"

"No…I mean, I am…Yoshimitsu! He…" Vera breathed heavily. She was going to give herself a heart attack if she didn't calm down. "He's had a heart attack or something."

"Where is he!?" Masumi started running to where Vera came from.

"His room! Thank you! Hurry!" Vera stammered. She rushed to the lab. Her body slammed into the door, the doctor was working away. He nearly jumped out of his skin at the outburst.

"Vera! Good God my child, what's gotten into you!? Where have you-?"

"No! Not now! Yoshimitsu!" She rested at the table, breathing heavily.

"What!?" Dr. Boskonovitch leaned over the table.

"His…uh…" she gasped.

"Calm down." He reached for his own tools to check her pulse and blood pressure. "You don't need this stress right now, dear."

"Heart attack." she mustered to get out.

"Heart…attack?" the doctor dropped his stethoscope. This is exactly what he was afraid of. He hadn't wanted to scare Vera, to tell her the news of how bad shape Yoshimitsu was really in. "Where is he!?"

"His room." Vera slowed her breathing. "He's coming, don't worry."

Right then, the door opened again. Yoshimitsu was carried in by a few men and set on the operating table.

"Let's have a look." Dr. Boskonovitch was right to work. The medics helped, strapping the man up to machines and needles. His shirt was ripped open and immediately the typical procedure took place.

ZAP!

The defibrillator electrocuted the man. His body jolted at the charge. Vera covered her ears, not wanting to hear the sound. She felt a hand on her shoulder, Masumi.

ZAP!

Once again.

"He'll be alright. He always pulls through." Masumi whispered to her.

The truth was, Vera didn't think this time he would. He was far too gone. His organs were almost completely deteriorated by now. He should have died a long time ago. It was a miracle he was alive at all.

ZAP!

Another burst.

ZAP!

Still a flat line. The atrocious sound was like a living nightmare.

"Come on!" Vera screamed.

ZAP!

Same as before.

"Please, God…" Vera sobbed, watching the man's lifeless form.

"Get her out of here." The doctor mumbled.

"What!? Why!?" Vera was grabbed by the arms. Masumi followed behind her.

ZAP!

How many times were they going to shock him!?

"Let me go!" Vera struggled. Why would he tell her to leave, if he didn't think he'd die?

She watched in horror as the machine beeped loudly, a horrible siren of noise. And one last-

ZAP!

And the door closed behind her.

"Yoshimitsu!" She frantically struggled with the men who held her.

"Take her to my room, we'll talk." Masumi ordered. The men did as told, opening the door and almost shoving her through.

"Masumi!" Vera screamed loudly. "Take me back there! Don't make me stay out here."

Masumi only gave her a sympathetic look. "I can't…"

"Please!" her voice as loud as possible.

"This is the third one…" She mumbled.

"I…what?" Vera gasped. "Since when? Since I've been out?"

"Since this week…" Masumi frowned. "He'd been showing symptoms. This is the worst yet. This is…the real deal."

"Why hasn't the doctor done anything!?" Vera frowned. "Make a new machine!?"

"There are no materials for it. We can't get them all on time." Masumi shrugged.

"But…" Vera gasped suddenly.

"What?" the female ninja folded her arms.

"Is everyone here a complete idiot!?" Vera cursed.

"What are you talking about?" Masumi narrowed her eyes.

"Get a team to dig up Bryan Fury's body, right now!" Vera ordered.

"What the hell are you plan-?" Her mouth dropped. "Oh…"

"Yeah, 'Oh!'" she muttered sarcastically. "I made that damn machine; I know it inside and out. Get it out and I can fix whatever's wrong with it. It should work just fine in another body, besides the perpetual generator was built for Yoshimitsu, right? Well I just made a few improvements is all." Vera smiled.

"Getting a move on." Masumi nodded once without another word. She rushed outdoors, hollering at ninja left and right.

"I'm going back to the lab!" Vera ran out the door around Masumi.

"Vera!" the female ninja screamed. "You best not set yourself up for disappointment!"

'What did she mean by that?' Vera wondered. She didn't care at the moment. All she cared about was getting that new generator inside Yoshimitsu.

"Doctor!" Vera ran through the door. She gaped at the sight before her. "What is this!?"

Yoshimitsu was lying on the table; a couple of medics were pulling a blanket over his face.

"Stop!" She pushed through, pulling the cloth downward.

"Vera!" the doctor's voice sounded from behind the curtain in the corner of the room. He stepped out, cleaning his glasses. His eyes were red and that was the sign of death to her. The grim reaper may as well have tapped her on the shoulder.

"No!" she screamed. "NO! You've got to be kidding me!" She fought with the medics, trying to get them away. "Don't shut those off! You can't, you can't do this to him!"

"Vera…it was his time." the old man reassured her.

"No! No it's not! He still has another hundred years left inside of him!" She leaned down, running her hands down his face. "Look at me…please."

"Get her out of here…" the doctor frowned.

"You touch me and I'll kill you all!" Vera scooped up a scalpel from the tray. The medics froze. They were ninja medics they could easily handle her.

"Why didn't you think of Bryan!? Huh!?" She looked over her shoulder at the doctor. "He has a perfect generator inside him!" she screamed at the old man.

"Vera…he's suffering. My friend is suffering. He told me, that if it got bad enough…to let it pass. Besides, the generator was damaged."

"I don't believe you!" the young woman screamed. "How can you do that to him!?"

"I'm showing him mercy, my dear." said Dr. Boskonovitch. "You have no idea the pain he's been in these many years. It's like death every day. Do you want him to go through that pain?"

"I can make it go away!" Vera muttered through gritted teeth.

"How?" The doctor sighed, his eyes glittering in the light. "You think I want my friend to die?"

"He said he loved me!" Vera spat out, her voice low and threatening. "And I love him too."

"…He said that to you?" the doctor's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Yeah!" Vera smiled through the tears in her eyes. "And I'm not about to let the love of my life die when I can have the chance to return the favor and save his life for a change."

"But…his heart has stopped." The doctor frowned.

"How long has it been?"

"Long enough…" the doctor sighed, looking at the pale body on the table.

"Then, if you're done with him, can you let me have my chance?" Vera whispered harshly.

"Go at it." The doctor gave her a warm, unsure smile.

"Incoming!" Some ninja shouted, running through the door carrying a familiar torso.

'Ew…' Vera felt dizzy at the sight. 'It's okay; he's a robot and nothing else.'

"My back table, gentlemen." Dr. Boskonovitch led the man to the back. "I'll need an assistant." He called from behind the curtain. One medic darted back to him in a hurry.

"What shall I do?" the other asked nervously.

"Continue reps and feeding him oxygen. Give him slow shocks. We have to keep his body ready." Vera ordered out quickly.

"What's going on?" Masumi stumbled into the lab, her hair all disheveled.

"I need emotional support!" Vera screamed to her friend.

"On my way!" Masumi stood by her side. "It's okay, it's okay, everything's going to be fine. We'll get him running ASAP." She began with the chatter.

"What'd you tell him while I was out?" Vera mumbled quietly to herself, preparing an incision between the man's ribcage. "Anesthesia!" she called out. Another medic in the corner rushed to her aid.

"I asked him if he loved you." Masumi smiled.

"Oh?" Vera glanced at her. "And? What did he say?"

"He said he hated your guts." Masumi grinned at her.

"What!?" Vera glared at her. "I hate you, you know that."

"He said he loved you, of course." Masumi giggled.

"…And what'd you say to that?" Vera asked.

"I said, 'then she'll be just fine. Everything will be alright'."

"Do you believe that?" Vera asked.

"I believe that with love, you'll never give up. And when you never give up, something's bound to happen." Masumi grinned underneath her mask.

"…I'll agree with you on that." Vera smiled.

Masumi stood by Vera's side all night as she performed the surgery. With each horrible ZAP there was a heartbeat that followed. And as long as she heard that one last beep, she would keep continuing. The doctor had the machine out of Bryan's body in no time. It was put inside Yoshimitsu's body, his old organs, which were barely anything, were removed first. He was cleaned out and given the new perpetual generator. There was a hole on the side of the machine, caused by Yoshimitsu's blade. Vera tried her best to patch it up, replacing the expensive parts with old parts and pieces she found in the lab. It would hold until they had enough money to get the new parts and give him another surgery. The only problem they had now was his heart beat.

They waited all night, the medics constantly trying to keep the man alive, though any other doctor in the world would declare him dead, Vera stuck with him.

"Keep trying." Vera said for the thousandth time that night. She was growing tired. Dr. Boskonovitch had long since retired.

"Vera…we…need rest." One medic announced.

"He's dead get over it." Another said bitterly.

Vera glared at the doctors, her eyes falling on everyone in the room. "GET OUT! Get out then! What type of person gives up on a man's life!? HUH!?" the woman screamed.

She shooed them out, one by one they left. Some saying some terrible things, others saying apologetic. Masumi stayed lastly.

"You don't have to stay, Masumi." Vera murmured.

"You know Vera…he's my friend. And I care about him more than anything too. But…" Masumi looked up to the ceiling. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery too. She had cried herself to dehydration as well. "I…I don't think he's coming back."

"I know Masumi…" Vera whispered. "But, you're not in love with him, I am. And that's why I'm staying with him all night." The young woman began to cry again.

"Oh, Vera…please come to bed." Masumi's voice cracked as she spoke.

"No!" Vera shouted. "He wouldn't. He wouldn't give up on me so easily." New tears soaked her face, just when she thought she couldn't cry anymore.

"You take it easy, alright. If by morning, he's not awake…" Masumi ended her words. She only looked at her friend sadly and shook her head.

"You can drag me away and lock me in a room." Vera whispered.

"Will do." Masumi nodded once and then left the room, locking the door behind her.

Vera sat in the silence of the lab, feeling very alone. She looked down at Yoshimitsu's body. It didn't seem like he was here with her. She felt no presence, she felt no life. Vera was all alone. She was alone in this cold and dark laboratory with nothing more than a dead body to keep her company.

"How can you do this!?" She whispered harshly at the body on the table. She looked over his young face, his perfect skin. "You said you loved me! How can you leave me!?" the woman grabbed a tool from the tray and launched it across the room.

"You're going to kiss me and say I love you and then just die right there!? You're going to give me a teaser trailer but no movie!?" the woman sobbed at her foolishness. Her eyes fell on the pale body on the table.

"Yoshimitsu! Do you hear me!? I know you do! I know you can hear me!!" She screamed loudly. "If you love me enough to be with me forever, then you love me enough to live!"

She stomped around the room, sobbing, folding her arms and screaming.

"How dare you keep me here and not stay with me! How dare you force me to suffer through an eternity of life and make me go through this pain of living it by myself?" She took a deep breath, realizing the similarities. "That may have happened to you, Yoshimitsu, but I didn't try killing you, did I!? NO! I tried to save your life!" She stomped a foot.

"Kunimitsu may have forsaken you, but don't think I will!" Vera shouted. "You have a new woman now, you hear me!? You have someone better for you! You're the one for me and I'm the one for you! We're all we have left, understand!? What am I to do if you leave me now!? Huh!?" Vera sniffed loudly.

"Come on…" Her lip trembled. She fell into the chair. Her grey eyes fell over the man's chest. It was unmoving. She lay across his upper body, crying. "I thought you loved me…" her lips moved slowly.

"Are you trying to make me hate you?" she laid in the silence of the room, feeling his cold body. This was crazy. She would never be able to show her face here ever again after this.

"Yoshimitsu, if you die right now, I'll never forgive you." She murmured. Her head rested against his ribcage. The man had been sewed up, his surgery was done. He had a perfectly fine perpetual generator inside him. "Was it all for nothing!?" Vera screamed.

"I need you!" She wept. "There's no point to my goals and dreams if the man I'm supposed to do them with isn't alive!" she rocked back and forth in her seat.

"Goddamnit, Yoshimitsu!" she slapped his chest. "I # hate you! I hate you!!" She slapped his stomach, where the generator lay inside him. "You hear me!? I HATE you!" she beat him repeatedly. How sick and disgusting she may look. "You're horrible! Selfish! You have fun in your afterlife! You have fun there, by yourself!" she screamed, hitting his chest once again.

"God…damnit…" Vera sighed, falling against his chest, her forehead beating against him.

BEEP

A high pitched sound erupted from the silence of the room.

"…?" She lifted her head, catching the readings on the computer screen.

"Yoshimitsu?" Vera whispered feeling chills down her spine.

BEEP

The machine responded.

"Oh my god! Yoshimitsu, if you're alive…give me another beep!" she spoke as if she was talking to a ghost.

BEEP

A response. It was a slow response, but it was better than nothing.

"Do you love me!? One beep for no, two beeps for yes!" She hopped up and down.

BEEP

BEEP

The pulse detector started up, it was faint, but sure enough, Yoshimitsu was alive.

Vera nearly fainted.

"DOCTOR!" She screamed. "Doctor Boskonovitch!"

"Oh my!" she covered her mouth. "Come on!" Vera fed oxygen to the man. The machine slowly picked up its pace. She looked down, his fingers twitched.

"Thank you! Thank you!" the woman chanted to herself as she single handedly tried to keep the man alive.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The computers synchronized and soon, Yoshimitsu's heart was beating just fine. The oxygen mask was set to automatic and soon, the man was breathing and beating on his own.

"I'm not leaving your side. I'm never leaving your side." Vera whispered to the man on the table.

She watched the computers, reading every beep and data the blipped onto the screen. She read his DNA, memorized it. She read his diagnostics and memorized those too. She knew Yoshimitsu inside and out. She doubted anyone in the world knew him better than she did. Slowly, Vera was put to sleep by the rhythmic sounds of the machines.

'I'll be alright, as long as you're by my side until the day I die.' His words echoed in her dreams.

* * *

**5 months later**

Vera sat by the pound out back. She dropped pellets of food into the water, watching the fishes gaping mouths open and close repeatedly, swallowing the expanding food supply. She smiled softly at them. Her eyes fell to a gravestone marking a gravesite.

"You know…things aren't as bad as I originally thought they'd be." Her eyes watched the stone. "Bryan's generator was the best I could do. I'm glad I tried." She looked to the side where Bryan's grave was. "It took a lot of work, but I'm so glad I tried."

Vera looked down at the fish. She smiled at the one by the lotus flower, Ren. The fish looked up at her, gobbling away at the water wanting more food.

"Things sure have changed around here since you've been gone." Vera smiled. "Hitomi and Denji have been fighting all the time." the woman stared at her reflection in the water.

"Ren's a little jealous of Haru. He's been getting into her lotus flower more and more often now. In fact, I think they may be having babies. Wish you were here to see it." Vera poked a fish on the head. "There are so many bugs here to eat too."

The young woman thought a moment, keeping to herself. She listened to the trickle of water.

"There are many new recruits coming in. The clan's growing more and more each day. They're giving the higher ups lots of trouble." The woman twirled her hair with a finger.

"Oh yeah, Masumi and Jiro. They've been up to no good too." Vera laughed quietly to herself.

* * *

Masumi kept watch at her usual post. She leaned against the wall, completely relaxed. After the events that occurred five months ago, she felt there could be nothing worse. Though, she'd never admit that. She had to look sharp no matter what. Jiro, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind sleeping on the job.

"Jiro!" Masumi yelled suddenly.

"Huh!?" Jiro jolted, nearly falling over the high deck. His eyes stared down at Masumi's. He took in the innocent smile the woman wore. "Hey…Masumi…You remember that day?" he asked, a finger rubbing across the long scar lining the side of his neck.

"Yeah, I remember that day, what of it?" she murmured, acting like she wasn't interested.

"I was going to ask you a question…and then I was…um…hit." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah I remember. You got blood all over me." She replied shortly.

"Sorry about that." The man laughed sheepishly. "Say…" he muttered shyly. Masumi rolled her eyes over to look at him again. "I didn't get to thank you." He continued.

"What do you mean?" Masumi frowned. "I didn't do anything."

"You did a lot for me, staying by my side like that." Jiro grinned widely.

"Really?" She asked skeptically. She tried to hide the smile on her face by looking through the hole in the fence, her long ponytail swinging with her head.

"And you taking care of me in the hospital. That was some rough love…" he chuckled. "Think I left with more bruises than when I came in."

"Well, if someone wouldn't be so picky about the food." Masumi garbled. "Besides, who said it was love?" she raised an eyebrow, looking at him seductively.

"Well…" the man shrugged. "Maybe I would." He leaned on the fence, overlooking the woods.

"What?" Masumi looked up, her pink lips parted in surprise.

"What are your plans for tonight, Masumi?" the man asked. He looked down at her sideways. The woman gave a quick, nonchalant shrug of the shoulder. Jiro leaned over the balcony of the deck, getting closer. "How 'bout dinner tonight?"

Masumi stared at the man's face. She certainly had enjoyed teasing him these past few months, and she did admit she liked the few physical contacts they would sneak into their flirting games. The woman grabbed the man by the collar of his uniform, tugging him almost over the edge of the balcony. She planted a firm kiss on his lips before letting him go and returning to her post. Jiro scrambled back to his feet.

A hand quickly straightened his clothing. "Is…is that a yes!?" his voice seemed to rise in pitch.

The woman's eyes lifted momentarily. "…Sure." Masumi answered with a large grin on her face. She turned away quickly. "Get back to work." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Jiro looked back out. His face held a crooked smile. "Ya know…it took me a long time to ask you that."

"Yeah I know. What took you so long?" Masumi sighed.

* * *

"The two have been all over each other since! Kind of sickening actually!" Vera laughed. "What else? Oh, the doctor's been training me so I can take over for the day he decides to pass on. Don't worry, it won't be for a long time, I can tell." Vera's grin then faltered. "I wish people could live forever…" she muttered to herself. Her eyes fell down at herself. "Well…I guess some people can, technically."

"You know, people are going to think you're crazy if you keep talking to yourself like that." A male voice sounded from behind the woman. "What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I was talking to Rupert." Vera grinned. Her eyes fell back down to the tiny gravestone on the ground. "He's missed out on a lot these past few months. I'm sure he was worried about you too, Yoshi."

"Ah, yes he has." Yoshimitsu stepped up beside the woman. He crouched beside the gravestone. "Ya know, sometimes I can swear I hear his old croaks." The man murmured to himself.

"Really?" Vera tilted her head.

Ribbit!

The couple stared at each other. "I heard it…" Vera's face paled.

"I told you!" Yoshimitsu pointed a finger at the woman. "And you didn't believe me!" The man stood from his place beside the water. He folded his arms.

"It's not that I didn't believe you…it's just, I didn't think frogs had ghosts!" She shivered at the thought.

RIBBIT! It sounded again. The two jumped simultaneously.

"They have to…" Yoshimitsu stared at the waterfall by the pond.

"What do you mean?" Vera cocked her head to the side. She looked to where Yoshimitsu was staring.

"Cause there's a ghost of Rupert on the rocks right now!" Yoshimitsu gaped.

"Well…so there is…" Vera watched as the giant toad hopped up and down, croaking cheerfully. It hopped into the water, swimming straight up to the flower that belonged to Ren. The fish swam around the frog, totally at peace.

"It is Rupert!" Yoshimitsu cheered. He dropped to his hands and knees. "Rupert! Is that really you!?" the man smiled widely like a child.

More tiny sounds erupted from the grass.

"Uh oh…" Vera stifled a laugh. "Yoshimitsu!" she tugged on the man's shirt.

"Hm?" He looked up.

"We're going to need to get a bigger pond!" Vera giggled with excitement.

Surrounding the pound were tiny little frogs. They all hopped and splashed in the water. This, the fish had began to feel irritated by.

"There's so many…" Yoshimitsu's face paled. His speckled eyes stared into Vera's.

"Rupert is really a girl!" Vera cackled, clapping her hands together. "Yoshimitsu, how could you make that mistake?" she teased.

"It's not like she's wearing a dress." The man mumbled.

Rupert swam through the water, gobbling at the many bugs.

"Well that takes care of the bug problem…" Yoshimitsu smirked. He looked at Vera who was smiling widely. "What?" he questioned.

"See, Rupert found someone to love." Vera wrapped her arms around the man's waist. "Now she doesn't feel so alone and different in this world." The woman placed a quick kiss on the man's lips. He pulled her closer to him, a mischievous look on his face.

"I suppose so. Life is so much better when you have someone…" He gave her an embarrassed, sideways grin.

Together, the two watched the tiny frogs swim with the fish in the pond.

"I can't believe I've been talking to only a rock this whole time…" Vera stared at the gravestone that was made for Rupert.

"You're crazy like that." Yoshimitsu shrugged.

There was a long silence.

"Hey, Yoshimitsu?" Vera interrupted the peacefulness once again.

"What?" he played with a curl in her hair.

"What do you think of having children of your own someday?" She asked him innocently.

"…" he nearly toppled over. "What!? Children, me!? I'm too young for kids!" the man laughed nervously.

"Too young my ass!" Vera huffed. She pushed away and started walking back toward housing. "Oh well, it's not like you have a say anyway." The woman hurried down the trail.

"I don't have a choice?" The man scoffed. "Yeah right!" his face suddenly fell into a look of dread. "Vera!?" He chased after her. "What does that mean!? What do you mean I don't have a choice!?"

Yoshimitsu would soon learn the answer to that question. As he had learned through his many ups and downs in life, there were a lot of unpredictable situations. Some things he had control over, and some things he did not. He was just finally getting used to being surprised. Having Vera by his side, allowed him to open up. Not only was he more open with himself, but he was more open to the Manji clan. They all embraced his new attitude, and many were interested in his new look. They appreciated his openness and his honesty. And mainly they appreciated his strength and leadership. Yoshimitsu was proud to have his clan back, but most of all he was proud to have gained the love of another person. Vera made him whole. Vera made him complete. Yoshimitsu had learned that sometimes the logical thing isn't always the right thing and sometimes thinking with your heart can lead to a much more interesting life. He knew there would be rough patches and that there would be fights, but what type of life didn't? He was a ninja after all.

"Vera!?" The man called out to the young woman. Life was indeed full of surprises and for once, Yoshimitsu was enjoying them.

* * *

**AN**: Wow, cheesiness galore! And I think this is the longest chapter EVER! Sorry if it's a painful read, but I needed to get it all out of my system before I lost motivation once again. Anyways, this was just a story for fun. There's not too many Yoshimitsu fics and I thought he'd be fun to write about. Maybe someday, when I have the energy and more free time, I'll try another one with him since he can have so many personalities. He's quite the fun character. Thanks to all those who stayed with it and thanks to everyone who reviewed! I greatly appreciate it! But I'd love to hear from everyone, what'd you think, like, dislike etc. thanks again!-Annubis


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